Traveling through time and space

"Miss, we all escaped from Mount Puji. We have been traveling all the way here. The elderly and children are really hungry. Please give us something to eat."

"Miss," Su Yuanyuan was listening to their complaints when Kang Xi and Yue Er suddenly appeared and said, "Miss, come back quickly. We have something to talk to you about." Kang Xi and the others pushed through the crowd.

"Miss, please give me something to eat." Hearing the voice again, Su Yuanyuan looked around and made sure there were old people and children.

"Dongmei, give me two taels of silver." Su Yuanyuan looked at the child and felt a little reluctant. Forget it, just give it for the sake of the child.

"Princess, the prince is worried about your safety and wants you to move to where he lives. He will go to the disaster area in Puji Mountain tomorrow. Princess, you want to go and see it too. It's a good opportunity for you to go together," Su Yuanyuan agreed without thinking, but her eldest brother insisted on going with her, so she made an appointment with him to set the departure time tomorrow and notify him in advance. Su Yuanyuan got in the car, thinking about what she had just experienced, she still felt uncomfortable. When she lifted the curtain, she found that there were many people sitting on the ground by the roadside. They were a bit far away and could not be seen clearly.

"Kang Xi, who are these people? Why aren't we seen during the day, but there are so many of them at night?" Su Yuanyuan asked in confusion.

"To answer your question, Princess, during the day, the yamen runners chased them away from the streets, so they hid in the small alleys on the back streets. Only at night, when no one was watching, did they dare to come out and ask for food."

"Lord Liu has run this place in such a mess. How disappointed must the people be with the court?" Su Yuanyuan was angry on behalf of her father. She felt a bit depressed until she entered the room.

"Princess, don't be angry. I believe that within two days, the situation will change and the refugees will be rescued." Kang Xi comforted her.

"What happened?" Prince De, who was sitting on the side reading a book, looked up.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, it's not a big deal. The princess found the homeless beggars on the street and was angry on behalf of the emperor." Kang Xi smiled and said, "Princess, you have seen too little."

"It's my own impulsiveness. I've experienced this before. In a place like this, where the emperor is far away, there are always some corrupt officials. One bad apple spoils the whole barrel. Your Highness, when and where will we leave for Puji Mountain tomorrow? Yuanyuan wants my cousin to come with us."

Prince De waved his hand, Su Yuanyuan nodded, and all the servants left. "Princess, do you want to promote the Cai family?" Prince De asked, "or do you want to cultivate your own confidants?"

"Yes, this princess wants to elevate the Cai family. I've heard that my grandfather was a prominent figure in his time, but now the Cai family has fallen to the point where others are calculating against them. So this princess wants to make the Cai family strong so that others dare not look down on them. As for confidants, this princess does not need them."

"Is Cai Dewei really like this? He was sold out and still counting money for others. From what I see, he is..."

"Your Highness, do you want to say that he is a piece of mud that can't be helped? There should be someone in the Cai family who can be helped," Su Yuanyuan had an urge to let her eldest brother take up an official position. With him around, the Cai family should be able to get back on their feet. And what about her second brother? He is a tribute student.

"If it's him, I do feel some hope."

"Your Highness, are you willing to lend a helping hand and give me some advice?" Su Yuanyuan felt like she was climbing the ladder.

"Princess, I'm afraid you don't know that I'm in the court..."

"Your Highness, something big has happened." Someone appeared at the door, looking very anxious. It was Lord Lin Xilin.

"Come in and talk. Someone, take Princess Anle to rest."

"No, I want to listen too. Now that I'm here, I want to participate. Your Majesty, please don't put too much pressure on me." Su Yuanyuan felt that he would say that the harem was not allowed to participate in politics.

"Just tell me what you want to say." Prince De gestured to Lin Xi.

"Your Highness, Princess, I have discovered something. In the past five years, about 1,600 girls have disappeared in Qingyang." "They were not the only ones surprised to hear this," "These 1,600 people came from various places in Qingyang, but there is a pattern. They are all in the southern half of Qingyang, and there are people in almost every county. It's just that there are so many of them this time that it attracted attention. In the past, the number of people missing in each place was only a few per year." Lin Xi explained.

"Investigate the circumstances of all the missing women thoroughly. The more detailed the better. Once you have done so, report back to this king."

"Your Highness, Lord Lin, I just heard something in the teahouse. A girl's family has gone missing and someone has received a letter saying they are taking one hundred taels of silver to Qianji Mountain, forty miles outside the city."

"But is it true? Lin Xi, have you received any news about this?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, I didn't get it. I'm afraid this is a scam. There have been similar cases in the past."

"Lord Lin, do these missing girls have anything in common?" Su Yuanyuan asked.

"In reply to your question, Princess, I have carefully examined them. They are all unmarried girls between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. According to the information, they are all beautiful, well-educated and well-mannered ladies from prominent families."

"Where would they put so many women?" Su Yuanyuan pondered carefully. "Master Lin, have someone secretly investigate the human traffickers and brothels in Qingyang. We'll definitely be able to find some clues."

"Do as the princess asks. Come, send the princess back to the guest room to rest." Prince De stood up, and Su Yuanyuan also stood up, but hesitated a little. "I will have someone notify your cousin."

"Okay, thank you, Your Highness." Su Yuanyuan went out, and Yue'er, Dongmei and Rumei followed. "Yue'er, can you find the Wu Mansion?"

"Don't worry, Miss. Yunqiao and the servants have seen everything clearly."

"Okay, we'll set off in half an hour."

"Miss, please take this servant with you."

"Keep your voice down. If others hear you, you won't be able to get anywhere." Su Yuanyuan pointed at Kang Xi, who was leading the way. This was a regular guest room for customers. Su Yuanyuan lay down to rest for a while, then stood up again. "Dongmei, find some black clothes," Su Yuanyuan said, making a simple change of clothes.

"Miss, please take this servant with you. It's not possible for you to take Xiaoyue'er with you alone."

"No need. This princess is going to steal things, not to fight. If there are too many people, it will make more noise. You guys just take care of yourself." Su Yuanyuan only took Xiaoyue'er out of the room where she lived.

Before she reached the gate, someone stopped her. "Princess, where are you going in the dead of night?" It turned out to be Prince De, Xining, and Yunqiao.

"Yunqiao, are you betraying me?" Su Yuanyuan thought, she was careless. She had used him to find the Wu Mansion. "I want to go to the Wu Mansion. Does the prince want to stop me?"

"Why did the princess insist on visiting the Wu residence at night?" Prince De stared at Su Yuanyuan in the night.

Su Yuanyuan waved her hand, telling everyone to step back. Of course, Su Yuanyuan only directed Yue'er. Prince De waved his hand, and Xining and Yunqiao followed him, finally retreating. "Your Highness, Yuanyuan doesn't want to hide anything from you. This morning, when I saw Wu Yufu and Wu Dali, there was terror in their eyes, a sense of concealment, and fear. So Yuanyuan wants to find out what he's hiding, what he's afraid of."

"That's easy. Under torture, he will always tell the truth."

"Lord Wu is still a fourth-rank official. Although the prince has the dignity of a prince, and this princess feels that there is some kind of relationship between the prince and Lord Wu, he would not be able to kill him. To avoid trouble, we should just go to the Wu Mansion and find out what's going on." Su Yuanyuan said very straightforwardly.

"In Liupu County, the Wu Mansion is also a wealthy family. They must be heavily guarded. How can the princess go there alone?"

"Your Highness, I have my own way. You don't have to worry about it. Yue'er, let's go." Since they had met, Su Yuanyuan did not hide anything.

"You guys go back. I will accompany the princess on this trip." Prince De said and followed.

"Your Highness, I will follow you to protect you."

"Has the prince ever asked me if I am willing to take him there?" Su Yuanyuan stopped.

"Princess, do you want Master Cai to go?" Prince De actually threatened her with this. Su Yuanyuan had no choice but to take him with her.

"Yue'er, what time is it now?"

"It's almost three quarters past midnight, young lady. I've arranged for a carriage to be at the intersection ahead. I'll be driving it myself to avoid anyone revealing our whereabouts."