The daughter of a noble family is reborn, and she is doted on by her godmother.

"Please give your instructions, Madam Hou," Magistrate Sun asked, neither humble nor arrogant.

The wife of the Marquis of Changxing was named Su Ru. One could tell from her demeanor that she came from a prestigious family and possessed a refined air. Moreover, she had fought alongside her husband on the battlefield, which explained her lean and capable appearance.

"First, I want to learn about the local garrison from you, such as the character of the generals and the combat capabilities of the garrison."

Magistrate Sun clenched his fist under the table, his face expressionless, and did not answer the other party's question.

"Madam, as far as I know, although Marquis Changxing was granted his title through military merit, he should not have the authority to supervise the garrison."

Investigating the state of local armies, especially those concerning the conduct of the soldiers, requires utmost caution and careful consideration. It cannot be done casually; supervising local armies is the responsibility of prefectural and county officials. As a mere county magistrate, what qualifications do I have to do such a thing?

Magistrate Sun did not answer the other party's question.

Hearing the questioning voice, the young man beside him was indignant and was about to speak out in anger, but the Lady Hou was not surprised. She raised her hand to stop her son and then spoke calmly in a low voice.

“Magistrate Sun is cautious, that’s good. Marquis Changxing has received an imperial decree to inspect the garrisons in various places and is on his way. As Marquis Changxing’s wife and his deputy, I’m leading a small team to notify the counties to prepare in advance. Right now, I can only produce the Marquis Changxing’s official document. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. Marquis Changxing will be here soon, and you’ll know then.”

“Since there is an imperial edict, please see it before we speak.” Magistrate Sun could hear the threat in the other party’s words, but he did not change his attitude because of it.

“Since that’s the case,” Lady Hou said, seeing that the other party was not cooperating, she didn’t dwell on it and made her second request. “There is one more thing I need to ask the magistrate for help with.”

"please say."

"I..." Lady Hou's eyes suddenly darted away, and she bit her lip. "It's like this, I have a friend whose youngest daughter seems to have been abducted. There are rumors that the child was taken to one of the nearby counties. If you see any children who seem to have been abducted, or a couple with a child, both of them around thirty years old, I would appreciate it if Your Excellency could keep an eye out for them."

"A trafficked girl?"

Magistrate Sun had expected the other party to come and ask for something that was impossible to accomplish, but to his surprise, the other party made an unexpected request.

"Girls around five years old, in short, any child who has been abducted, the county magistrate should pay close attention. Or couples in their thirties, whose eyes are shifty and look like they're kidnappers, that's them." The boy beside him spoke impatiently and with a somewhat unfriendly tone.

"Minghao! Don't be rude." Lady Hou waited until her son finished speaking before stopping him.

“We are asking the magistrate for help. If the magistrate can help, he can; if he can't, we won't force him. After all, the magistrate acts according to the imperial edict and follows the rules. It is already very inappropriate for us to trouble the magistrate with private matters.”

Magistrate Sun sensed the sarcasm in the other person's words, but he didn't care. He was a magistrate serving the imperial family, not the Marquis of Changxing.

"Combating human trafficking has always been a key focus of the county. Please rest assured, I will be aware of any developments."

"Alright, Minghao, let's go back now. We'll come back to ask Marquis Changxing about the situation once your father arrives." The Marquis's wife had finished her business and didn't linger any longer, leaving the county office with her son.

As soon as the two left the county government office, Xie Minghao, the heir of the Marquis of Changxing, spat.

"Pah! What kind of county magistrate is this, so disrespectful? He's just a mere seventh-rank official, yet he dares to yell at me. I'll deal with him later."

“Minghao, he’s just a minor county magistrate. There’s no need to get angry with someone like that. But I haven’t seen you these past few days. How come you’ve become so vulgar?” Madam Hou’s face was displeased, but she was more concerned about her son’s situation. Seeing her son’s vulgar behavior, she couldn’t help but frown.

“We are marquises now, unlike ordinary people. We even represent the Emperor's face, so we must be careful with our words and actions. Besides, your maternal grandfather's Su family also values ​​us highly. The Su family's support is just as important. The Su family are cultured people, so don't bring this kind of habit back with you.”

Xie Minghao listened to his mother, bowed his head to apologize, and stepped forward to help her up.

"Thank you for your support, Mother. You've worked so hard, and you even made a special trip for me."

The carriage was parked outside the door. After the two got into the carriage, Lady Hou Su Ru solemnly spoke, "Now you can talk. You brought your guards out, saying you were going out for training. Why did you suddenly come to this remote and impoverished place? How did you know your abducted sister was here?"

"To be honest, Mother, it was my sister Mingli who told me," Xie Minghao said directly, without hiding anything from his mother.

“Mother, as you know, Mingli has always had a strong precognitive ability. Half a year ago, she came to me and told me the name of the couple who kidnapped my sister. They are currently here. Mingli didn’t say anything more specific, but we all know about Mingli’s abilities.”

Lady Hou Su Ru nodded. This daughter was adopted to make up for the daughter she had lost earlier. However, after adopting her, they discovered that the girl was exceptionally gifted and had a certain precognitive ability. When they were fighting outside, it was this girl's predictive ability that prevented several fierce battles.

Xie Minghao then recounted in detail what his younger sister had previously told him.

The gist of the story is that Xie Mingli suddenly claimed one day that she had predicted that the daughter of the Hou family couple, who had been abducted years ago, was in a certain place, and that if they did not find the girl quickly, she might be in danger.

“Mingli predicted my sister’s location, I have no doubt about that, Mother. Most importantly, Mingli said that my sister is a jinx sent from heaven. She is rude and doesn’t know any manners. Moreover, at some point in the future, she will be defiled and will bring disaster to our Marquis’s mansion.”

When Lady Hou Su Ru first heard the news of her lost daughter, she was initially excited and thrilled. However, after hearing her son's account and carefully considering the child's situation, she couldn't help but believe her daughter's deductions about the outside world.

"But...she's still your sister. It's my fault for not keeping an eye on her...I'm so sorry. You said you'd leave your sister in an orphanage after you found her..."

Lady Hou lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes, but she deliberately held them back, not wanting her child to see. She didn't usually carry a handkerchief, and in this situation, it wouldn't be appropriate to roll up her sleeve to wipe her tears.

"I know Mother has a kind heart, I understand," Xie Minghao said calmly, trying to comfort his mother.

“But Mother, our family has achieved this status not easily. There are covetous eyes in the capital. If they find out that we haven’t kept our daughter in check and that she’s been left to wander outside, what will they do? They’ll definitely report Father directly, and then we’ll lose the Emperor’s favor, which would be bad.”

Xie Minghao hardened his heart and said, "Mother, if we can really find my sister, don't worry, I will make proper arrangements for her so that she can grow up well. As long as she doesn't affect our family's future, that's fine."

"But your secret guards didn't find nothing."

"Yes, that's why I hoped Mother would step in and ask the local county magistrates to help search. We've already searched Pingyang County, but we haven't found any clues. I thought I'd come here to see if we could find any relevant information. The county magistrates know all sorts of people, so they're sure to find more information."

Although Xie Minghao is only twelve or thirteen years old, he has matured a lot after experiencing life outside, and is now much more mature.

After hesitating for a long time, Lady Hou Su Ru finally nodded, "I'll do as you say."

Xie Minghao was satisfied. He lifted the curtain, got off the carriage, mounted the horse next to him, and left with his mother.

Just as they left and boarded the carriage, in front of the sesame seed cake shop next to the county government office, Yun Yuke was buying sesame seed cakes for Yun Qingjin. The mother and daughter, holding the sesame seed cakes, ate them on the street without caring about their image.