coobybook Chapter 219 The Master
Chapter 219 The Master
Unaware of the advisor's true intentions, everyone assumed he was truly unwilling to help search for the missing young ladies any longer, and they immediately became anxious.
The gentlemen and their wives all knelt before the clerk, weeping and begging him to continue helping them find their daughters.
Seeing everyone weeping and heartbroken, the advisor couldn't bear to refuse them, but he couldn't tell them or let the villains in the shadows see through his scheme.
Once the officers and soldiers change into civilian clothes and blend into the workers carrying goods, the villains in the shadows will relax their guard and might soon send the women onto the ship. At that time, they can capture them on the spot and rescue the women.
The villains are in the shadows while the others are in the open. Searching house to house would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, since the adults are not in Dushui County, if someone points out that he does not have a document personally written and stamped by the adults, he will be hindered.
So he had no choice but to say firmly, "I have already led the troops to search as you requested. As you have seen, there are no young ladies you are looking for on the boats at this ferry crossing. Let's not delay the cargo ship's departure. The villain who just mingled into the crowd has already run far away. I will order people to chase after him. Rest assured, as long as we find any clues, we will help you find your daughters and rescue them as soon as possible."
After saying this, he sent some soldiers to split into several groups to continue searching along the streets, while he led the rest back to the county government office.
He ignored the cries of the men and women who had lost their daughters.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qianchuan immediately became furious.
So many beautiful young women have not yet been found, and the clerk has actually withdrawn his troops. What if those villains take the opportunity to abduct the young ladies onto the ship and run away?
So he clenched his fist and said angrily, "Studying to become an official, yet failing to investigate major cases properly and allowing those villains to run rampant in the dark, is truly contrary to the integrity of a scholar!"
Xiao Jiu reached out and tugged at Shen Qianchuan's sleeve, giving him a hard look to signal him not to speak.
He said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “Fourth Uncle, things may not be as they seem. Today we went to the county government to report to the authorities, but we didn’t see the magistrate at all. It seems that he is not in Dushui County right now. The clerk did not have his personal document, but he brought his seal. It can be seen that the clerk is not the kind of person who sits idly by. Perhaps the clerk has his own way of dealing with it. Let’s not be anxious and wait and see.”
Shen Qianchuan was taken aback. He never expected that Xiao Jiu, at such a young age, would be so calm and composed in the face of trouble, more composed than him, an adult, and more level-headed in her approach to problems.
Actually, Xiao Jiu was right. No one saw the magistrate. The fact that the clerk was willing to take the risk and use the magistrate's seal to order the soldiers to block the ferry and search the cargo ship shows that the clerk was an upright and kind person.
However, in his moment of panic, he misunderstood the advisor, just like those gentlemen and ladies; he was truly blinded by concern.
He said, "I was too impatient. You're right, let's wait a little longer."
Xiao Jiu said, "Fourth Uncle, we still haven't found Xiao Tang. It's getting late. You should go back to Qinghe Town as soon as possible and tell Uncle Qingchuan and the others the truth, so they won't worry about us for so long."
Shen Qianchuan sighed, "If we don't go back, they'll be anxiously waiting at home. If I go back and tell them the devastating news of Xiaotang's disappearance, they'll go crazy, especially my sister-in-law. She's not well these days and can't handle any more shocks. What should we do?"
Neither left nor right seemed right; his head was about to explode.
Xiao Jiu also felt that this matter was difficult to handle, but it was almost evening in another hour, and they still had no news of Xiao Tang. Should they just wait like this?
Shen Qianchuan made up his mind and said, "Xiao Jiu, you are quite familiar with the people at Wanhe Restaurant. Why don't I wait for you here, and you store the carriage in the backyard of the restaurant? We can find a place to hide and observe in secret whether that villain will take advantage of the night to bring Xiao Tang and the others to the ferry to leave by boat?"
The soldiers' extensive search for the missing ladies today must have alerted the enemy. They will certainly not linger here any longer. Whether they leave by boat or by carriage, they will definitely make a move soon.
After all, it's not easy to quietly conceal one's whereabouts while traveling with more than ten women.
Thinking of this, Xiao Jiu seemed to have thought of something else.
He immediately instructed, "Fourth Uncle, wait for me here. I'll go and put the carriage at the restaurant and be right back."
Xiao Jiu got into the carriage and drove away, rushing to the county government office to catch up with the clerk.
"Master, please wait!"
Xiao Jiu jumped off the carriage, ran quickly around to the clerk, and clasped his hands in a salute.
The advisor was slightly taken aback. He felt that the child's appearance was somewhat familiar, but only for a moment.
He said in a deep voice, "Young man, a major case has just occurred in the county, and I'm having a headache over it. If you don't have anything serious to do, just find someone to help you resolve it."
"Master, I can resolve your confusion. Please listen to me patiently."
The advisor thought that Xiao Jiu was too young to cause any serious problems, but he was surprised to find that Xiao Jiu was so eloquent, clearly showing that he had received excellent upbringing at home.
He said "Oh," and then, "If that's the case, let me see if you have any way to resolve my confusion?"
Xiao Jiu said confidently, "Master, order your men to block the land roads out of the county as soon as possible, leaving only the ferry crossings that have already been searched. Then, order your men to search every empty house. Those people will be terrified and will eventually lose their composure. They will take advantage of the soldiers' laxity during the night search to take those young ladies to the boat. We can also set up a tight net at the ferry crossing beforehand. Then we can not only find those young ladies, but also catch the villains on the spot. With witnesses and evidence, no matter what power those people have behind them, they can no longer use the absence of the county magistrate as an excuse."
The clerk asked in shock, "How did you know the master wasn't here?"
Xiao Jiu reached out and brushed his nose, saying matter-of-factly, "Is there even a question? Such a major event has occurred in the county, and the magistrate, who has always been a benevolent ruler, has not taken personal charge but has instead entrusted you, his clerk, with full responsibility. It is obvious that the magistrate is not in the county at the moment."
The advisor nodded, agreeing that Xiao Jiu's guess made a lot of sense.
Presumably, after today's commotion, many people in the county will now know that the magistrate is gone.
Ugh!
At this critical juncture, he can't cover it up no matter what!
He then asked, "How were you so sure you wanted to search the empty house?"
Xiao Jiu didn't want to waste any more time. He said urgently, "Master, you should send troops to block the land roads out of the county as soon as possible. If the villains secretly take the young ladies away, it will be difficult for us to find them again."
The advisor felt that although Xiao Jiu was young, what he said made a lot of sense, so he immediately arranged for two groups of people to block the two roads leading out of the county.
"Boy, someone escaped from the ferry today. That person must be an accomplice of the villains. They probably won't be able to escape Dushui County so quickly. Tell me, why are you searching empty houses?"
Xiao Jiu looked at him like he was an idiot, his eyes filled with disdain, and said, "They kidnapped more than ten young girls. If they hadn't tied them up and locked them in an empty house, do you think there would have been no trace of it?"