048, strict investigation
048, strict investigation
“Dong—dong—”
After the early morning bells rang, the four major city gates of Kyoto Prefecture opened at the same time.
However, today, the number of guards at the four city gates increased threefold compared to usual, strictly checking passing vehicles and pedestrians. If they found anything amiss, they would immediately arrest the person, leaving no one who might have slipped through the net unscathed.
The officers and soldiers in the city were also checking people from house to house, checking everyone's identity and household registration.
The once bustling South Street seemed a bit deserted today. Fewer people were leaving the city than before, and fewer vendors were coming in. There were fewer stalls on the street than before, and even fewer people were out shopping. With fewer people shopping, the businesses operating on the street were somewhat affected.
"Haa——" Lu Mingfei didn't sleep well last night, so he kept yawning tonight and tears came out.
Liu Sanniang was also very tired. She hadn't slept all night last night and had been busy since the third watch. She was exhausted. But she was an adult and could endure any fatigue. It was just that the child was still young, and she was worried about damaging the child's health.
It seems that she needs to go back and think about hiring someone else, otherwise she will feel bad for letting the child endure the hardships with her. Her husband is not in good health, and if there is an adult to help them, perhaps they and their child will not have to work so hard.
Knowing that the city gate was under strict inspection, their business was greatly affected. In the past, their stalls would have been almost sold out at this time, but today, most of the meat was still here. Looking at these unsold items, Liu Sanniang felt a little worried.
Noticing that the child had been yawning all morning, Liu Sanniang said to the child, "Why don't you go to your adoptive parents' shop and lie down and take a nap? I'll take you home after I finish selling things." They had just experienced a child being kidnapped last night. She was afraid that the child would lie down and fall asleep at the stall, and she was busy here. If she wasn't careful, the child might be taken away.
She was even more afraid to let her child go home to sleep alone. She simply could not bear the possibility of her child getting lost.
"Mom, no need. Let's go home together after we sell everything. I can still hold on." Lu Mingfei wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He was so sleepy that he couldn't help yawning.
While the mother and daughter were talking, several officers rode up to their stall. One of the officers looked familiar, and Lu Mingfei recognized him as one of the officers who had gone with them to arrest the human traffickers last night.
Then he heard the familiar-looking official say to them, "Our prefect has ordered that you, young master, come to the Fengtian Prefecture Yamen to ask a few questions."
Liu Sanniang suddenly became nervous and subconsciously grabbed her child's hand.
"Mom, I'm going to go with some uncles and will be back soon. Don't worry, you just stay here and look after our stall." Lu Mingfei patted his mother's hand and comforted her.
"Mother will go with you." said Liu Sanniang.
"Mother, you don't have to go. I'll be back soon. Uncle just said that the prefect just asked me to ask a few questions." Lu Mingfei didn't let his mother go with him, so he followed the official on his own.
Seeing him approach, the officer who had spoken to him immediately carried him onto the horse's back. This was his first time riding a horse, and once he sat on it, he was so nervous that he dared not move, fearing that the horse would throw him to the ground. Fortunately, the officer who carried him aboard quickly got on and sat behind him to protect him. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't be nervous, you won't fall down." As if sensing the child's nervousness, the officer behind him laughed.
"Hehe." Lu Mingfei couldn't help but smile. The view from the back was quite good. It was the first time he had seen the street from this height. This angle was also quite novel. He could see very far.
When Boss Lu and Xu Yueniang in the pancake shop saw their adopted son about to be taken away by the police, they left their business and ran out, stopped the officers on horseback and asked what was going on and why they were taking the child away.
"Don't worry, godfather and mother. My uncle and others called me over to ask about what happened last night. Please help me look after my mother. I will be back soon." Lu Mingfei, who was riding on horseback, looked at his godfather and mother who had chased after him. It would be a lie to say that he was not moved.
Although they had only recently become godparents, they were very kind to him and his family. If he had the ability in the future, he would definitely repay the benefactors who had helped his family.
"Yes, don't worry. Our prefect just asked the young master to go over and ask a few questions. I will send him back later." The speaker was an official from the Fengtian Prefecture Yamen. They all knew last night that this young master and the Prince of Ding were kidnapped together, and the two escaped from the hands of human traffickers.
The emperor has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter, and they are merely following orders.
After saying this, they rode their horses and took the young master back to the Fengtian Prefecture government office.
"Yueniang, you look after the store. I'm going to the government office to see what's going on." Boss Lu was still a little worried, so he let his wife look after the store while he hurriedly followed the mounted officers and soldiers to the Fengtian government office.
Xu Yue Niang, who was behind, saw her husband leave. Although she was worried about the situation of her adopted son, she also knew that she still had to do business in the store. So she went over to Liu San Niang and said a few words to her not to worry, and then went back to her own store to continue watching over the store and doing business.
***
“Ouch—”
The officers on horseback grabbed the reins and stopped their horses, and several of them dismounted.
After the officer with the child dismounted from the horse, he did not forget to pick up the child from the horse's back, holding the child's hand, and led the person into the Fengtian Prefecture Yamen.
It was Lu Mingfei's first time in such a place. When he was carried off the horse, he noticed the two majestic stone lions at the gate of the government office. Then he was led into the lobby. When he arrived here, he saw the young master, whom he had just separated from last night, sitting here drinking tea.
He didn't know the officers here, nor had he learned the etiquette of this era. He didn't know how to greet these important figures, so he just stood there motionless.
"Come here." Zhao Lang waved to the child when he saw him standing there stupidly.
Among all the people present, the only person Lu Mingfei knew was the young master. So when the young master waved to him, he walked towards him.
Perhaps because of the young prince's protection, the officials didn't dare to embarrass him, merely conducting routine questioning. He simply told them what he knew. As for his own speculations, he didn't dare to speak carelessly, trying his best to speak and behave like a child his age.
These officials were very respectful to the young prince, and they would hold their throats when speaking to him, not daring to speak loudly at all. However, the young prince ignored these officials, and would just say "hmm" when he wanted to answer, and remain silent when he didn't want to answer. However, these officials did not dare to do anything to the young prince.
So the young master didn't say anything, and he was the one who answered most of the questions here.
After sitting here for a while, listening to these officials interrogating Lu Mingfei as if he were a criminal, Zhao Lang's impatience grew. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he asked these officials, "Have you finished your questioning?"
"That's about all we need to ask. We're sorry to bother the young master and this young master with making this special trip." The speaker was Lord Chen, the prefect. Of the officials present today, he held the lowest rank. He couldn't possibly ask the Minister of Justice and the Supreme Court to appease this ill-tempered young master, could he? Therefore, this task of coaxing him had to be entrusted to him.
Five children were kidnapped last night. Except for their young master and the young master they invited today, the other three children only woke up this morning.
The three children started crying when they woke up, and they couldn't get any information out of them after questioning them for a long time. They eventually found the adults in the children's families and finally managed to calm them down. But no matter what they asked, the three children couldn't answer.
Fortunately, the young man from a commoner family who was invited later was braver and did not cry when he came here. Although he was not very old, he spoke clearly and let them know how these children were abducted last night.
Hearing that it was time to leave, Zhao Lang got up from his seat, took Lu Mingfei's hand and said, "Let's go."
Rather than staying here, Lu Mingfei naturally followed the young master's steps.
As for the three adults behind him, they did not dare to stop the young prince, nor did they dare to stop the young prince from taking the other child with him when he left. Anyway, they had asked all the questions they needed to ask, and if they had any other questions, they could interrogate the human traffickers.
***
"Shichiro!"
"Godfather."
Following the young master out of the yamen, Lu Mingfei saw his adoptive father waiting for him at the yamen gate. He immediately broke free from the young master's hand and ran towards his adoptive father.
Boss Lu put his hand around the child's shoulder and patted it, then asked, "Is everything okay?"
"It's okay, godfather. The masters just want to ask me a few questions." Lu Mingfei was actually a little nervous just now. After all, it was a government office, and the people who asked him questions were probably high-ranking officials in Kyoto Prefecture.
In this era where the powerful reign supreme and laws yield to them, ordinary people have little say. If they say something inappropriate, it could bring unnecessary trouble to themselves or even their families. It's said that since ancient times, the word "official" has two meanings, and officials have the final say.
Fortunately, the young master was here today, so those officials didn't dare to do anything to him.
"Oh, that's good." Boss Lu also saw the noble young man behind him. It seemed that this young man came out holding the hand of their adopted son just now?
Zhao Lang walked over, took Lu Mingfei's other hand and said, "You promised to go with me."
Huh? Lu Mingfei was a bit confused by this sentence. After a moment's pause, he remembered that when the young master pulled him away, he asked him to go with him. He thought the young master meant to take him away, but he didn't expect that the young master meant to let him go with him.
Just remembering that he was still waiting for his mother at the stall, he said to the young master apologetically, "My mother is still waiting for me to come back. I'm afraid I can't go out and play with you today."
"How about if you have time someday, come to our stall for breakfast? I'll treat you to some braised pork." The young master wanted him to go with him, probably because he wanted him to go and play with him?
“…” Young Master Zhao, who has never lacked food since birth.
Thinking of the woman who hugged Lu Mingfei and cried on the street last night, he finally let go and let Lu Mingfei and his adoptive father go.
Seeing their young master looking at the departing child with a look of reluctance, Butler Liu, who had come with them today, came over to their young master and said, "Master, are you looking for someone to play with? How about we hold a flower viewing banquet at home and invite the young masters from all the mansions to come and play with you?"
"I don't like them!" Zhao Lang frowned, his little face full of unhappiness.
"..." Butler Liu had no choice but to ask their young master to get on the carriage and go back to the mansion first. Because the emperor had specially approved their young master for three days of leave, so that they would not have to go to the palace to study in the next few days. Author's words: Thank you Bole 9492239 (9492239) for your support, mua! To know more exciting content, please leave me a message on Liancheng Reading
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