Chapter 230: The Master of the Bazaar District
Chapter 230: The Master of the Bazaar District
Bai Yuwei's face burned with pain as she glared at the two men with hatred, "How dare you! Do you know who I am? My grandfather is the King of Miaojiang. If you dare to sell me, he will not let you off!"
The man who had slapped her seemed to smile mockingly, "And you claim to be the granddaughter of the King of Miaojiang? Does that make me the grandson of the Retired Emperor? Besides, why would a Miaojiang princess come to a place like the Bazaar District?"
It turned out that this place was called the Bazaar District.
Xun Yu had taken her around the capital for several days, but he had never heard of a place called the Bazaar District.
She hated the fact that she was dressed as a maid, making her appearance unremarkable.
His companion said, "Enough, stop wasting time with her. Do we have any more Incapacitating Poison? Give her another dose so she doesn't cause trouble on the way there."
The man took out a packet of Incapacitating Poison from his pocket, poured a bowl of water on the table, sprinkled the powder into it, and stirred it with a finger that didn't seem clean. He then brought the bowl to Bai Yuwei.
Bai Yuwei felt nauseous and dry-heaved.
The man wanted to slap her again, but he held back, thinking of the price he would get for her.
Bai Yuwei didn't want to drink it, but she had no strength to resist. She could only let the man pinch her chin and force the bowl of Incapacitating Poison down her throat.
"My grandfather... won't let you off... He will find this place soon... You... you won't be able to escape..." Bai Yuwei said before falling into a deep sleep due to the powerful effects of the Incapacitating Poison.
The man who had drugged her was the same one who had just slapped her. Hearing her words, he felt a chill down his spine for some reason, "Hey, Lao Zheng, does this girl really have some background?"
His companion said, "With her looks, she could sell for at least two thousand taels."
The man said, "Let's do it!"
Manager Cen had gone to the palace and asked the guards at the gate if a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl had come to visit the King of Miaojiang. The answer was no.
He instructed the driver, Wu Ge, "Go and report to the Young Madam immediately. I'll go to the palace to find the Grand Governor and the King of Miaojiang."
"Hey!"
Wu Ge whipped the horse and rushed back to the Governor's Mansion.
After hearing Wu Ge's news, Liu Qingyun's expression turned solemn. She asked Bai Qingchen, "It seems she went to find you. Does she have your Tracking Toad on her?"
Bai Qingchen thought for a moment, "Yes, there's one."
Liu Qingyun stood up, "Take me to the place you just visited."
Meng Qianqian said, "Mother, I'm familiar with the Bazaar District. I'll go with you."
This time, Liu Qingyun didn't refuse.
The three of them, accompanied by a team of Miaojiang guards, had just exited the Governor's Mansion when they saw Taner dismount and bounce over to them, "Sister! Han Ci is here!"
Dressed in armor, Han Ci led hundreds of Golden Guards and greeted the three of them with a bow.
Liu Qingyun glanced at Meng Qianqian, "Did you call him?"
Meng Qianqian nodded, "General Han is from the capital, and all his men are elite soldiers familiar with the capital's terrain. With his help, we have a better chance of finding my younger sister."
Manager Cen's message had just arrived, and the Golden Guards showed up at their door. It was not a coincidence; it was clear that she had made her arrangements early on.
"No wonder my son wants to marry you," Liu Qingyun muttered.
After her muttering, she mounted her horse.
Meng Qianqian gave Han Ci a painting of Bai Yuwei, depicting her in the attire of a maid from the Governor's Mansion.
"Are you sure she's dressed like this?" Han Ci asked.
This outfit was not something a Miaojiang princess would wear.
Meng Qianqian explained, "We're missing a set of maid's clothing in the courtyard. You can take half of your men with us to the Bazaar District."
Han Ci asked, "What about the other half?"
"Meng Qianqian spoke with a calm and stern voice, "Guard the four great city gates, and no one is allowed to leave the city. Additionally, all the brothels and entertainers in the capital are not permitted to receive guests tonight!"
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but glance at Meng Qianqian, including Bai Qingchen.
While they were busy searching for the person, she had considered all the worst-case scenarios in such a short time and provided a swift and decisive response.
Having spent time with Meng Qianqian, Han Ci understood her meticulous thoughts better than Liu Qingyun and Bai Qingchen.
"Understood."
Han Ci distributed the portraits and assigned tasks.
The group began to split up and take action.
The capital was bustling with people, making the search akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Moreover, they had to find the person before anything happened to Bai Yuwei.
"What kind of place is the bazaar district?"
On their way, Liu Qingyun asked Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian tightened her grip on the reins, "It's a mixed crowd, with people from all walks of life in the martial world. It's a place beyond the reach of the court, and they don't bother to manage it."
Liu Qingyun's expression became even more unpleasant.
Upon arriving at the bazaar district, Han Ci immediately sealed off the entire street and began searching house by house.
Bai Qingchen took Meng Qianqian and Liu Qingyun to the restaurant where he had met his two guests.
The innkeeper of the restaurant insisted that he had never seen the girl in the portrait.
"Call all your waiters here," Bai Qingchen said.
The innkeeper hesitated, "This..."
Han Ci drew his sword and slashed the innkeeper's robe.
The innkeeper was shocked and pale, "Didn't you hear the officer's words? Come out, all of you!"
The waiters gathered in the main hall.
Bai Qingchen signaled Chang Ting.
Chang Ting walked past everyone and shook his head at Bai Qingchen, "Young Master, I didn't see the waiter serving wine in the corridor."
The innkeeper was surprised, "This young master, you've booked the second floor, there are no other guests, and I didn't send anyone to serve you wine!"
He didn't seem to be lying. If someone had indeed disguised themselves as a waiter, the possibility of them taking away Bai Yuwei was high.
Perhaps, Bai Yuwei had been targeted as soon as she entered the bazaar district, or maybe even earlier.
At this moment, Han Ci's Golden Guard had finished searching all the shops.
Han Ci frowned, "Nothing."
Meng Qianqian's gaze swept over the innkeeper and the others, "Your mouths are indeed tight."
The innkeeper hurriedly said, "Madam, we're innocent! We truly haven't seen the person you're looking for..."
Meng Qianqian's words carried an air of authority without anger, "My younger sister is so beautiful, I can't believe she could blend into the crowd without anyone noticing her."
The innkeeper raised his finger, "I swear to heaven, no one in our restaurant has seen her!"
Meng Qianqian said, "Who is in charge of this bazaar district?"
The innkeeper's eyes flickered slightly.
Meng Qianqian raised her eyebrows, "It seems there really is someone in charge."
The innkeeper was speechless, "You're tricking me."
"I know who to look for now."
After saying this, Meng Qianqian turned and left the restaurant.
Liu Qingyun and Bai Qingchen continued to interrogate the people in the restaurant, accompanied by Han Ci.
To Han Ci's surprise, she entered a gambling den.
The attendant at the gambling den, upon seeing her, immediately became alert and turned to run.
With a glance from Meng Qianqian, Han Ci caught him.
He turned around with an awkward smile, glanced at the two of them, and said to Meng Qianqian, "Madam, what wind has brought you here?"
Meng Qianqian got straight to the point, "I want to see the Fourth Young Master."
The attendant laughed, "The Fourth Young Master isn't here."
Meng Qianqian pointed at the white-robed young master in the crowd, "Then I'll gamble with him."
The attendant stepped aside, "Please, upstairs."
(End of Chapter)"
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