Chapter 303 Missing

After seeing off the shopkeepers, it was already noon.

Xie Zhuoning checked the time and decided to ask Murong Yan to stay and have lunch with him.

While they were eating, a servant came back to report that the person Murong Yan sent to inquire had returned.

"Let him come in and answer the call."

"yes."

Soon, a figure with sweat all over his forehead hurried in and saluted the two of them.

Xie Zhuoning looked up and asked him, "Did you find the person?"

The other party shook his head and said, "I have asked all over the capital, and even visited every dental clinic, but I can't find any trace of the child. And it's not just that!"

More than that?

Xie Zhuoning frowned and glanced at Murong Yan.

Murong Yan also looked sullen and asked him, "What does it mean to be more than that?"

The man replied, "The person we sent out to investigate happened to meet an official from Jingzhao Prefecture who was investigating a case. During their casual conversation, they discovered that dozens of children had gone missing in the capital recently."

"Dozens?!" This number really shocked Xie Zhuoning.

"Yes, the missing children are between three or four years old and seven or eight years old, and their social status is different. Not only the children of merchants and peddlers are missing, but even the children of some officials have been abducted. So this matter is quite a big deal now. The people are in a panic and are watching their own children as if they were the apples of their eyes."

Xie Zhuoning narrowed his eyes, "Are all the beggars so arrogant nowadays?"

How dare you start such a big fight under the emperor's feet!

"It shouldn't have been done by the beggar." Murong Yan shook his head slightly, having a different opinion.

He has had a lot of dealings with all kinds of people these days, and those beggars would carefully select their candidates even if they wanted to kidnap children.

Generally, they would choose ordinary people as their targets. In this way, they would not have much energy and money to search, and if they reported to the authorities, they would not be able to use their connections to attract the attention of the authorities. In the end, the case would usually be left unresolved.

What's more, families with a little wealth have slaves to protect them, so it is difficult to find an opportunity to strike.

But the situation this time is different. The missing children have all kinds of identities. The merchants have money and the officials have power, so they can mobilize more people to search and investigate.

Now that this matter has become a hot topic, it will certainly not be easy if those children are not found.

"Could it be a kidnapping?" Xie Zhuoning asked.

Since the people they captured were all from wealthy families, could it be that they were after the money?

The man shook his head and said, "So far, I haven't heard of anyone receiving a ransom request."

"That's right." Xie Zhuoning muttered.

If they can sneak into someone's house and steal a child quietly, then shouldn't it be easy for them to steal some gold, silver, and jewelry?

It's clear that we're not doing this for the money.

"What about the clues? After kidnapping so many children, didn't the other party leave any clues?"

"The other party was very clean and left no traces."

Xie Zhuoning raised his eyebrows, "You are still an expert."

She asked him some detailed questions, and when she realized that she couldn't get any more answers, she let him leave.

"What do you think about this matter, Mr. Murong?"

“There are some guesses, but nothing is certain yet.”

Xie Zhuoning and Murong Yan looked at each other and said, "What a coincidence. I have some guesses as well. How about this? You continue to send people to investigate privately, and I will go to Xiao Jinxuan to ask what's going on."

Yufusi should know more than them.

"good."

afternoon.

Xie Zhuoningti carried the lunch box and arrived at the door of Yufusi.

When the Feiyun guarding the gate saw her coming, he let her in without saying a word.

"Thank you, Miss. Please come in. Our master is right inside."

Xie Zhuoning smiled and nodded at everyone, then walked all the way to the main hall.

In front of the desk, Xiao Jinxuan was looking over some files, his handsome eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if he was in deep thought.

Even so, it is difficult to conceal his handsome face, clear and bright, and a gentleman like a painting.

Wei Zhao was reporting the situation to him, "My subordinates went to the scene to check. They landed without any dust, and their martial arts skills were outstanding. The people who took those children away must be very skilled in martial arts."

"Well, you..." Xiao Jinxuan was about to open his mouth to give instructions, but suddenly he noticed something and immediately raised his head to look at the figure at the door.

His originally sharp eyebrows softened instantly when he saw that beautiful smiling face.

"Why are you here?"

"I was afraid you would be so busy that you would forget to eat, so I came to bring you something to eat."

Seeing this, Wei Zhao lowered his head to hide his smile and said, "Then I will take my leave first."

"Yeah." Xiao Jinxuan replied casually, not even bothering to look at him.

Xie Zhuoning put the food box away, took out a soup bowl from it, filled it with soup for him, and passed it to him, "Try it?"

Taking it and taking a sip, Xiao Jinxuan nodded, "Not bad."

Xie Zhuoning frowned, "Which one is better, my chicken soup or Princess Qingyi's chicken soup?"

Xiao Jinxuan: “…”

He said that this scene was inexplicably familiar.

"Just tell me~ I waited for five hours to make chicken soup for you, and my fingers were burned red~"

Xie Zhuoning stretched out his fingers, which were as white and tender as green onions, and saw that several of them were bandaged.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Jinxuan hurriedly pulled it over to check, and found that the gauze on one of the fingers was not fixed properly and it immediately fell apart.

Looking at the fingers that were as smooth as jade and without any damage, the man's eyes immediately narrowed dangerously.

Xie Zhuoning immediately frowned, "Haha, I just think that you must be bored if you are investigating the case all day, so I want to liven up the atmosphere for you."

Xiao Jinxuan glanced at her, then at the chicken soup, "You've been guarding for five hours?"

"Five... five breaths."

“Did you cook it yourself?”

"I, I watched the basil being stewed with my own eyes."

I thought the man would be angry, but after Xie Zhuoning finished speaking, Xiao Jinxuan didn't react at all.

She raised her hand and waved it in front of his eyes. "What's wrong with you? Are you mad at me?"

Xiao Jinxuan glanced at her and said with a knowing look on his face, "Why are you angry? You are not good at cooking. If the chicken soup was really made by you, I would have to think twice whether I can drink it."

Well, he was not angry, because he was angry at her instead!

Xie Zhuoning was unconvinced, "You haven't even eaten anything I've cooked, how do you know I'm a bad cook?"

Xiao Jinxuan said: "You can figure it out using common sense."

"Just wait, I will cook a meal for you one day to convince you!"

"Okay, I'll wait and see."

Xiao Jinxuan raised the corners of his mouth slightly and drank the chicken soup contentedly.

Wait a minute...

Xie Zhuoning suddenly realized that he had been tricked by him.

Just three sentences and she willingly agreed to cook for him?

This cunning bastard!

Xie Zhuoning secretly rolled his eyes and glanced at the files on the table, and was immediately attracted to them.

"Aren't you investigating the Huo Wei case? Why are you also investigating the missing child case?"

Xiao Jinxuan said, "The emperor has other ideas about the Huo Wei case, so he told me not to intervene. And because the case of the missing child has such a big impact, the emperor let me take over, hoping that I can solve the case as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible. How soon?"

"Three days."

Xie Zhuoning was a little surprised, "So short?!"

"After all, if we delay for one more day, there will be more victims. And if we delay for too long, the lives of those children will be in jeopardy."

Three days is not only the deadline given to him by Emperor Zhaowen, but also the deadline he set for himself!