Chapter 36: Elopement

  The Tang family's daughter was dragged into a small alley, where someone had been waiting. Two or three big men quickly covered her mouth and nose, lifted her up and hurried away. The Tang family's daughter only felt herself being turned left and right, her head spinning wildly, then the sound of rain grew fainter, as if they had entered a courtyard. After a moment, she heard a creaking sound, "creak-creak-creak", as if they were walking down stairs.

  The black veil that covered her face was lifted, and the Tang family's daughter found herself in a very quiet place, where she couldn't hear any thunder or rain. In front of her was a passageway, with rooms on either side, each room without doors, but only curtains. This layout of houses was rarely seen, and it seemed somewhat strange.

  She was being carried forward by two big men, and in her haste, she noticed that some rooms had their curtains lifted, with exquisite brocade screens and luxurious decorations. In each room, there was a beautiful woman wearing a thin silk spring shirt that barely covered her body, sitting or standing, staring blankly at herself. Their skin was pale, their faces lifeless, like faint ghosts. The sight made Tang Xiaoniang even more terrified: "What kind of place is this?"

  She was carried into an empty room and thrown onto the bed, Tang Xiaoniang's hands were tied behind her back, she arched her waist with great effort, her round buttocks lifted up, before she could even turn around completely, she felt a large hand grasping her buttocks tightly. Tang Xiaoniang was shocked, quickly rolled to the side and looked up to see a man wearing a purple copper-embroidered official robe standing there smiling. The man was about fifty years old, with a sturdy build, dignified and majestic appearance, three wisps of whiskers under his chin, giving off an air of elegance.

  The Tang family's daughter opened her beautiful almond-shaped eyes wide with fear, looking at him in confusion. The man smiled slightly and bent down to take out the cloth that was stuffed into her mouth. The Tang family's daughter immediately cried out in terror: "Who are you? Why have you brought me here?"

  "Heh heh, Tang Xiaoniangzi, now that I've captured you, what else can you do?"

  That official outside laughed slyly, instantly ruining his demeanor: "Hehehe, look at this seductive figure, look at this enchanting appearance. I, the old master, like women like you who are from good families. That kind of charm and elegance is something that women in brothels can't learn no matter what. Hehe, Tang Xiaoniang, don't be afraid. Your man is just a stinky, broken-down craftsman, how can he afford to raise such a beautiful flower as you? From now on, follow me, the old master, and I'll let you eat delicious food and drink fine wine, enjoying wealth and luxury without end."

  He laughed lewdly and pounced on her, "Get out of the way!" Tang Xiaoniang's face turned red with anger, she lifted her leg to kick him, but was caught by the official in one hand. His palm stuck to her thigh, slid down to her plump and seductive legs, and said with a sly smile: "What a powerful pair of legs! When wrapped around my waist, entwined to death, it must be very enchanting. Little girl, don't waste your energy, the women I've brought back, which one wasn't desperate at first? Now they're all at my mercy."

  As he spoke, a hungry dog pounced on food and pressed onto Tang Xiaoniang's body, then went to tear her clothes. Although Tang Xiaoniang's hands were not tied up, she was no match for him. In an instant, her clothes were torn to shreds. With her clothes gone, Tang Xiaoniang didn't dare to struggle anymore, and could only curl up on the bed like a sheep, trying to cover her private parts. However, her crystal-like breasts, smooth jade buttocks, and delicate waist made her even more alluring.

  The official looked straight at her, hastily waving his hand, and the several doorkeepers who were watching with their mouths agape immediately retreated, lowering the curtain for him. The official lewdly said: "Little lady, accompany me in having some fun."

  The several guards standing outside the curtain looked at each other, their faces revealing a sly and obscene smile. Before they could even conceal their smiles, they heard the official inside let out a "hiss" and repeatedly exclaimed: "Unlucky, damn unlucky!" Immediately following that, the curtain was lifted and the official walked out with a face full of regret.

  Several guards hastily collected their smiles and bowed: "Sir."

  "Damn it, just when I was about to enjoy myself, she's having her period. Call a maid over and have her help the girl get dressed and ready, serve her food and drink, and wait until she's done with her monthly business before I'll take care of her again."

  "Yes, yes, yes..." Several guards hastily responded. The official's anger had already risen and could not be vented. He turned his head to see a young woman sitting in another house wearing a nightdress, with a water-red embroidered mandarin duck on her chest, tightly wrapping her plump and full breasts, making people think indecent thoughts, and he couldn't help but let out a lustful laugh, excitedly rushing in...

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  The sky brightened, and Xia Xun and Peng Ziqi dragged the three thugs onto a mule cart, accompanied by Tang's wife, hurrying to the county government office. Along the way, many people looked on with suspicion, and some busybodies followed them. By the time they arrived at the entrance of the county government office, dozens of people had gathered. The gatekeeper at the entrance of the county government office saw this situation and hastily held up a water fire club to block them. Xia Xun released Tang's wife, stepped forward, picked up the drumstick, and began beating the drum loudly: "Dong dong dong".

  In an instant, the three classes of yamen runners rushed into the hall. Single Dragon, the county magistrate of Poyang, hastily emerged from the rear hall and strode to the "Azure Sea Red Sun" painting, seized the wooden mallet, struck it heavily, and shouted: "Who dares beat the drum and cry injustice? Bring him before me at once!"

  A group of people were brought to the court, Xia Xun was a scholar and did not need to kneel down. He stood aside and identified himself. Tang's wife cried and wiped away tears, saying: "Your Honor wants to help me seek justice for my daughter-in-law, whose surname is Huang and name is Yinghe, she married into our family in the 26th year of Hongwu..."

  Although Granny Tang couldn't read or write, she was extremely eloquent and within a short time, she clearly explained the whole case. Magistrate Dan's face sank, and he immediately interrogated the three thugs: "You three, report your names, identities, and explain how you committed the crime of kidnapping Madame Huang from the Tang family. Otherwise, don't blame this official for subjecting you to severe punishment."

  "Innocent, sir!"

  Three young men shouted in unison, introducing themselves as Xu Liang, Chen Cheng, and Liao Liangcai. The leader, Liao Liangcai, exclaimed: "Last night, someone came to us three brothers and promised to pay us a sum of money to help pick up a person. My brother was overjoyed, thinking that as long as there's money to be made, who cares what kind of person it is? It's just picking up a person, not some kind of evil deed... so we agreed..."

  Three of you, one word and one sentence, come up with a set of words completely different from what Tang's wife said. According to their statement, they do not know the person who hired them, they just take money to handle things, and the mule cart is also rented by that person in their name from the local mule rental shop. Originally, according to that person's instructions, it was supposed to send people to Xicheng to give birth to the master's concubine, but who would have thought that as soon as they turned onto the main street, that person and the young woman disappeared without a trace. Tang's wife saw this and cried out in surprise, and the three brothers were also unaware of the reason, and just as they were at a loss for words, they were knocked unconscious by Peng Zijun who came running to help.

  "Huh?" The single gentleman stroked his beard thoughtfully and said: "Don't you people know that person?"

  "Sir, what I know is not..."

  The single man slapped the wooden table and shouted: "How dare you, this official has not yet asked questions, how can you interrupt recklessly. If you dare to disrupt the order again, I will slap your mouth!"

  Peng Ziqi was furious, and just as she was about to stand up with a shrug of her shoulders, Xia Jiu reached out and pressed down on her shoulder.

  The single man turned to the leader of the gang and asked: "Tell me in detail about that person's appearance and what happened before and after."

  Lao Liangcai said, "Old Master, that person is under thirty years old, with a handsome face and dressed in expensive clothes, looking like a wealthy master. We've never seen his face in our county before, and when he speaks, his tone is somewhat strange, not like the local accent."

  Xu Liang interrupted: "Right, right, right, and this Tang grandma's accent is somewhat similar."

  Chen Chengdao said: "It's strange, when he called the door at Tang Babao's house, he spoke with a genuine local accent."

  The single man pondered for a long time, then said: "Kidnapping? It's not reasonable. Your Tang family only has an old woman and a young woman, if someone wants to kidnap them, why would they go to such great lengths? They could just barge in, subdue you, the old lady, and your daughter-in-law would be at their mercy! Moreover, your daughter-in-law was originally following behind the carriage, how could she have disappeared without a sound?

  "In my opinion, that person's accent is similar to Tang Baozi's, so he should be from Huai Xi. If I'm not mistaken, the kidnapping of your daughter might not be real. Eight or nine out of ten chances are that your wife didn't behave like a virtuous woman and had an affair with that man when you were in Huai Xi. Now that you've moved to Pu Tai, that man is still infatuated with her and followed her here. He colluded with your wife, came up with a plan, got rid of you, and eloped with her."

  The three rascals chimed in unison: "Great sir, you are wise!"

  Tang's wife called out to Qu Dao: "Master, it wasn't like that. My daughter-in-law is dignified and proper, how could she do something so unbecoming of a virtuous woman? Besides, the old lady from last night was someone we'd never seen before, and her accent wasn't even from Huai Xi."

  "This man, who can single-handedly chase you to Poyang, must be a traveling merchant or a barefoot doctor. He understands some local dialects and has some clever tricks up his sleeve to deceive your ears and eyes, and lure you out of the house."

  As Xia Liu heard this, a chill ran down his spine: "If the local county magistrate and the evil tyrant who controls the local snakes and rats are in cahoots with each other, what will happen to me, an outsider? No wonder those three rascals were so confident last night, even threatening me. If I continue to meddle in this matter, I'm afraid I'll silently disappear from this world." All along, Xia Liu had been trying to do a good job for Yang Wenxuan and live a good life in this world, but deep down, he had always considered everyone a threat to him. As soon as this thought arose, the idea of self-preservation emerged.

  Peng Ziqi was indignant and interrupted, "Your Honor has made a ruling, but I, a humble commoner, do not accept it. These three men claim they were just hired and did not know the details, yet last night when I blocked their path, they fought with me. If you say they are not accomplices of that evil person, wouldn't that be unreasonable?"

  "Liao Liangcai shouted: 'This little brother, in the dark of night, you suddenly appeared, with a knife in your hand. How do we know what kind of person you are? We thought you were a robber, how can we not resist?'"

  The single man stroked his beard and said: "Hmmm, this reason is also acceptable."

  "Your Honor, they are clearly accomplices of that scoundrel! On the carriage, when the old woman saw her daughter-in-law being kidnapped, she loudly cried out for help. Not only did they not listen, but they also covered the old woman's mouth and nose and drove the carriage away quickly..."

  Liao Liangcai shouted: "Tang's wife, don't falsely report the case just to get your daughter-in-law back! We are all families with elderly and children at home, just trying to earn a hard-earned income. Your daughter-in-law's lover has taken advantage of us for no reason. Don't frame us, old lady! As soon as we heard you shouting, we were shocked and didn't know what to do. From start to finish, who took the initiative?"

  Old Lady Tang cried out in grievance, and the County Magistrate asked Peng Ziyun again: "Peng, you rushed into the alley, did you see Tang's daughter-in-law? Was there any trace left on the ground?"

  Peng Ziqi said: "When the common people rushed to the scene, they saw no one in the alley, the sky was dark and it was raining, and nothing unusual was found."

  The county magistrate asked again: "How long is that alley?"

  Peng Ziqi roughly estimated and said: "About a hundred or so steps should be enough."

  The county magistrate said, "That's it. On a rainy night, the muddy ground, and the alley is hundreds of feet long. If that woman wasn't in cahoots with him beforehand, how could the scoundrel have taken her away so quickly?"

  "Sir..."

  The county magistrate waved his hand and said wisely, "This case is full of doubts. Tang Baba's accusation was that they kidnapped a civilian girl, but from the confessions of Liao Liangcai, Xu Liang, and Chen Cheng, it seems that they eloped with someone. The truth has not been investigated yet, so I don't dare to make a rash judgment. Let's do this: regardless of whether Liao Liangcai, Xu Liang, and Chen Cheng were used by others, helped to cause trouble, or conspired with the kidnapper to abduct the civilian girl, they will be temporarily detained before the case is clarified."

  Three people listened, knocked their heads and shouted grievances. The head of the court waved his hand, and immediately a group of bailiffs rushed up to take them away. Magistrate Dan again spoke to Tang's wife in a gentle tone: "Tang's wife, don't worry, this case is not clear, I cannot listen to your one-sided words, hastily determine that it was a strong kidnapping of a civilian woman. I will order the patrol officers and local officials to investigate everywhere, search for the whereabouts of your daughter-in-law. You can also seek help from neighbors and friends. Once it's confirmed that it was a strong kidnapping of a civilian woman, I will report to the prefecture, draw pictures and post them on the notice board, and issue a wanted notice throughout the country. Come, withdraw from the court."

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  "This corrupt official is so muddled in handling the case."

  After sending the crying Tang grandma back home and comforting her with kind words, the two left the Tang's house. Peng Ziqing immediately said in an indignant tone.

  "What's wrong?" Xia Jiu said lightly: "This county magistrate doesn't seem to have done anything wrong, the three rascals are already in custody, Old Lady Tang said her daughter-in-law was kidnapped, and the county magistrate also ordered the yamen runners and local officials to search for her, what more do you want?"

  "Those few rascals are clearly in cahoots with the scoundrel who kidnapped and raped, if they use severe torture on him, I'm afraid he'll confess."

  "Use torture? Are you not afraid of being forced into a confession?"

  "Hum! It's hard to say whether this corrupt official and the thief aren't in cahoots."

  "Perhaps it is, perhaps the county official is just being cautious. From your perspective, of course you'd want to beat those rascals and make them confess, but the presiding judge shouldn't be swayed by emotions. No matter how pitiful you sound, he should only look at the evidence. Besides, if a private elopement case occurs within the jurisdiction, it's just a minor matter that hurts social morals. But if it becomes a kidnapping case, that's a big deal! Considering his own reputation, wanting to downplay major issues and gloss over minor ones is also human nature. We can't rush to conclusions."

  Peng Ziqi said sternly: "Last night's incident, you witnessed it with your own eyes. Don't you know that was clearly a case of abducting a civilian woman?"

  Xia Jiu was silent for a moment before speaking softly: "This matter has already been decided by the officials, it's not something that we two ordinary people can influence, let's leave here and go quickly!"

  "I won't leave!" Peng Ziqi's eyes blazed with fury: "If you're afraid of death and want to live, then go! But Tang Bao will be pitied if I don't help her, now that I've seen this, I must help her!"

  "You're a kind-hearted person." Xia Jiu said calmly: "There are many injustices in this world, and we can't take care of them all. The injustices of this world, there were some before, there are some now, and there will be some in the future. We risk our lives to help a few people, what's the use? You don't leave, I'll leave!"

  Peng Ziqi sneered, "I'm not a scholar who reads sacred books or governs the world. I don't have your clever brain. I also don't know about the past or future, nor do I know about worldly affairs. All I know is that this matter is happening right in front of me, and all I know is that if I'm willing to take care of it, there's hope to save this poor woman! If I don't take care of things within my power, then I'm not worthy of being human!"

  Xia Jie stopped in his tracks, slowly turned around, and looked at this girl who had always been cold and overbearing in his impression. He said in a low voice: "That person dares to kidnap civilians, their power must not be small. The government handles the case like this, eight or nine out of ten are colluding with them. Both the government and the bandits are dangerous, one careless move, not only can't save people, but also fall into a desperate situation. Are you really willing to help them?"

  "I agree!"

  Xia Fu nodded and walked towards her: "Let's go."

  "Where is it?"

  "Let's take a look at where Tang's daughter was kidnapped and come up with a plan to capture the thief."

  Peng Ziqi was somewhat surprised and delighted, hesitated and said: "You... aren't you afraid of the danger within?"

  Xia Fu smiled slightly and said in a soft voice, "After all, I am also someone who has read the classics. You are willing to risk your life, Yang Mou is ashamed of himself. Since you are willing, I am willing too!"

  The book ranked first on the recommendation list had a big promotion on Monday and Tuesday, with more recommendations than expected, but now it's getting closer and closer, still short of 3,000 votes. Book friends, whether you have eight votes or one vote, please cast your votes, every bit counts! In the last three days, let's catch up and take the first place on this week's recommendation list, there is still hope! This chapter has 5,000 words, with fewer chapters but more words, not willing to split chapters for clicks, just want everyone to have a good read. Vote request!