Chapter 39

A "cane man" is a very ancient profession. By modern legal standards, this is called human trafficking. In ancient times, such cases were very common. Healthy young boys would be sold to other families as sons, while those who were unwanted would be maimed and used as beggars to make money. As for young girls, they would either be sold as child brides or sent to brothels.

However, Hu Niu was already a 16-year-old girl. It was rare for someone her age to be kidnapped by a cane man. If she really went missing, there were only two possibilities: one, she was sent to a brothel to become a prostitute; the other, she was taken for revenge.

Xiao Letian was now so regretful that his intestines were almost turning green. "Why did I bring her out to the temple fair when I was full? Do you really think this is a peaceful and modern society? This is the late Qing Dynasty, the most chaotic and darkest period of the feudal dynasty. I'm such an idiot." After saying this, Xiao Letian slapped himself hard.

"Sir, don't be anxious. Hu Niu can't have gone far..." After saying this, Xiao He Xin and the other two each went in a different direction, urgently searching through the crowd. From the moment Hu Niu asked for wontons to her disappearance, it was no more than the time it took to turn around and say a word, about five or six seconds. Unless the cane man could fly, it would be impossible to escape the pursuit of three skilled outlaws.

While Wang Huaiyuan and the others were searching everywhere, Xiao Letian was also anxiously looking around the wonton stand. He even hoped that Hu Niu had been kidnapped by a human trafficker, because if that were the case, he could mobilize the intelligence network of the Heavenly Kingdom and the connections of the outlaws to definitely find her.

What he feared most was the second possibility. If it was a revenge case, then everything would be unpredictable. Xiao Letian paced around anxiously, wanting to go out and search but also afraid that Hu Niu might return and not find him. He was like an ant on a hot pan, moving back and forth in a panic.

At this moment, the honest young man running the wonton stand cautiously said, "Sir, don't be anxious. Sit down and rest for a moment. There are cane men at the temple fair, but you look wealthy. Just give some money to the local bosses, and no one will be hard to find... Sit down, I'll bring you a bowl of hot soup..."

Xiao Letian sat on a long wooden bench and said, "I hope you're right..." Before he could finish, the young man at the wonton stand moved with lightning speed, tapping Xiao Letian's neck with two fingers, and he immediately fainted on the table.

The young man then picked up Xiao Letian and threw him behind the stand. Behind the stand was a pile of messy straw. Unexpectedly, two hands reached out from the straw and pulled Xiao Letian in. The straw covered a hole in the wall.

From the time Xiao Letian sat down to being knocked out and dragged into the yard, it took less than ten seconds. The people around the wonton stand were all accomplices, and their seemingly random positions had blocked all outside views.

The young man wiped his hands with a towel and casually threw it away, then turned and disappeared into the crowd. The accomplices also left one by one as if nothing had happened, leaving only the empty wonton stand, with the pot of boiling water on the stove still bubbling, and the wontons almost cooked to mush.

"I've searched both sides of the street, and there's no one... I've checked the rooftops, and there's no one... I've looked in the City God Temple, and there's still no one..." Xiao He Xin and the other two ran to the wonton stand, but when they arrived, they were stunned.

"Where's Mr. Xiao? And the wonton vendor? Oh no, it's a diversion... The vendor was the cane man. Damn, he took Mr. Xiao too..." Xiao He Xin kicked the pile of straw, and they saw the big hole behind it.

When the three rushed into the yard, they saw a family tied up and an old man with a gag in his mouth. They finally understood that they had encountered a true expert.

"Please save us, sirs! Someone stole my wonton stand, which is my livelihood... Gentlemen, please save us! A while ago, some bandits broke through our wall... Yes, just fifteen minutes ago, they took a young man and a young woman..."

A chill ran down their spines. "This is revenge, it must be. Who wants to harm Mr. Xiao? Damn, inform Spring Thirteen Lady, and have her mobilize the beggars' network. We must find the black hand... Send a message back to the prince immediately... Also, find Qing San, and have him use his official connections... Yes, and inform Pastor Liu too..."

The three ran frantically through the streets of Beijing, and the news of Xiao Letian's kidnapping spread like wildfire throughout the city. Xiao Letian was no longer an unknown figure. From the imperial court to the brothels, from the government officials to the outlaws, no one didn't know his name.

Spring Thirteen Lady was a high-level spy of the Heavenly Kingdom who had been embedded in the capital for a long time. She not only controlled part of the beggars' resources but also had many local ruffians under her command, even receiving a portion of the perfume money from the Eight Great Alleys.

Spring Thirteen Lady issued an order, and everyone in the capital had to give her face. The entire city's informants and ruffians were mobilized. For the sake of the 30,000 taels of silver reward, these people went crazy.

Not only that, but the righteous path was also mobilized. Before Qing San could act, Lewis, with his fiery temper, rushed to the Shun天府 (Shuntian Prefecture) and started pounding the large drum in front of the gate, making a deafening noise.

In no time, the gate of the Shuntian Prefecture was crowded with people. A group of bailiffs rushed out, but when they saw a foreigner, they all lost their courage.

"Oh, sir, don't joke. Beating the drum is for grievances. Who would dare to wrong you?"

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm here to report a crime. Do you dare not accept it? If you don't, I'll go to the Zongli Yamen and accuse you... Yes, I'll impeach you, severely impeach you..."

The crowd burst into laughter when they heard the foreigner was going to impeach the Shuntian Prefecture, making the bailiffs look very awkward.

"Oh, sir, what's the matter? We haven't wronged you..."

"My good friend, a member of our American church, the author of the great book 'Journey to the West'... Mr. Xiao Letian and his fiancée have disappeared at the City God Temple fair. They've been kidnapped. Can't I report this? Isn't it your duty to maintain the security of the capital?"

This statement was like a bomb dropped in the crowd. Everyone went crazy. "Xiao Letian, the foreigner? The American? Kidnapped?..."

"Oh no, I was waiting for the next update. How can this stop? The Shuntian Prefecture must take action!"

"Is it revenge? Such a big figure, ordinary cane men wouldn't dare. I think it's probably revenge..."

The crowd buzzed with speculation like a swarm of flies. The bailiffs, who were all shrewd, knew who they could and couldn't offend in the capital. When they heard that Xiao Letian, who had made Wang Hanlin faint and was known to the emperor and empress, had been kidnapped, their legs turned to jelly.

They really wanted to pass the hot potato, but their usual tricks for dealing with commoners wouldn't work on a foreigner, especially with Xiao Letian's special status. They didn't dare to act rashly.

"Sir, rest assured. We will immediately report to our superior. You know, this is a major case, and our superior must report to the court..."

Lewis nodded. "Very well. I will keep an eye on this. I will also report to the Nine Gates Commandant. If you can't find my friend, I will go to the Zongli Yamen and even the Golden Hall if necessary..." He then left with a flourish.

The news of Xiao Letian's kidnapping, spread by Spring Thirteen Lady and Lewis, quickly reached the entire city of Beijing. By the afternoon, the young Emperor Tongzhi and the two empresses received the secret report.

Emperor Tongzhi was furious. "I was waiting for the next update, and these bandits dare to kidnap Mr. Xiao?" He was about to issue an edict to the Shuntian Prefecture and the Nine Gates Commandant to investigate, but he was stopped by a eunuch's pleading.

"Your Majesty, you must first consult the two empresses! You haven't taken personal control of the government, and you can't issue edicts alone..."

"Damn, can't I even intervene in a kidnapping case? You dog slave..." He kicked the eunuch, and just as he was about to kick again, a group of people hurriedly entered the hall.

"What's going on, Your Majesty? Who has angered you?" It was Empress Dowager Cixi. After hearing her son's complaint, she patted his head impatiently. "Is this worth getting angry over? If you want to issue an edict, I'll let you, but have you thought about what it will accomplish?"

Tongzhi was puzzled. Cixi waved away the eunuchs and palace maids and whispered, "This case is not ordinary. Xiao Letian is now a well-known figure in the capital. Would ordinary bandits dare to touch him? This can only be the work of an enemy or a political rival..."

"How many enemies can a foreigner like Xiao Letian have in the capital? At most, it's Wang Shizheng, that old scholar. If he had the courage, he wouldn't have fallen for Xiao Letian's trick. So, there must be a mastermind behind this..."

Tongzhi rarely saw his mother explain the intricacies of governance so patiently. He blinked like a diligent student. "Mother, do you mean we should look for the culprit among Xiao Letian's political rivals?"

"Ha, my son is truly clever. Yes, we should look among his political rivals. Who is most afraid of Xiao Letian's books? Who will suffer the most from his industrial zones? Once you understand this, you'll understand the politics of the court..."

"My son, many things in the world are easy to identify but hard to catch..."

While the entire capital was focused on Xiao Letian's disappearance, in a quiet courtyard in the eastern part of the city, a middle-aged scholar was engrossed in reading. The story he was reading was not new; it was about Confucius executing Shaozheng Mao.

"An argument that has lasted for thousands of years, and there's still no consensus... These corrupt scholars, all they do is argue. Is the way of the sage just talk? For such a dangerous person, swift action is needed..."

As he spoke, a tapping sound came from the window. "Sir, Dragon has safely left the city, but for some reason, he hasn't made his move..."

"Hmm?" The middle-aged scholar's eyes widened, and his presence was intimidating. "Send someone to urge him again. Tell him clearly that if he succeeds, I will clear his family's name for three generations!"

"Yes, sir!" The person outside the window disappeared immediately.

---

The news of Xiao Letian's kidnapping, spread by Spring Thirteen Lady and Lewis, quickly reached the entire city of Beijing. By the afternoon, the young Emperor Tongzhi and the two empresses received the secret report.

Emperor Tongzhi was furious. "I was waiting for the next update, and these bandits dare to kidnap Mr. Xiao?" He was about to issue an edict to the Shuntian Prefecture and the Nine Gates Commandant to investigate, but he was stopped by a eunuch's pleading.

"Your Majesty, you must first consult the two empresses! You haven't taken personal control of the government, and you can't issue edicts alone..."

"Damn, can't I even intervene in a kidnapping case? You dog slave..." He kicked the eunuch, and just as he was about to kick again, a group of people hurriedly entered the hall.

"What's going on, Your Majesty? Who has angered you?" It was Empress Dowager Cixi. After hearing her son's complaint, she patted his head impatiently. "Is this worth getting angry over? If you want to issue an edict, I'll let you, but have you thought about what it will accomplish?"

Tongzhi was puzzled. Cixi waved away the eunuchs and palace maids and whispered, "This case is not ordinary. Xiao Letian is now a well-known figure in the capital. Would ordinary bandits dare to touch him? This can only be the work of an enemy or a political rival..."

"How many enemies can a foreigner like Xiao Letian have in the capital? At most, it's Wang Shizheng, that old scholar. If he had the courage, he wouldn't have fallen for Xiao Letian's trick. So, there must be a mastermind behind this..."

Tongzhi rarely saw his mother explain the intricacies of governance so patiently. He blinked like a diligent student. "Mother, do you mean we should look for the culprit among Xiao Letian's political rivals?"

"Ha, my son is truly clever. Yes, we should look among his political rivals. Who is most afraid of Xiao Letian's books? Who will suffer the most from his industrial zones? Once you understand this, you'll understand the politics of the court..."

"My son, many things in the world are easy to identify but hard to catch..."

While the entire capital was focused on Xiao Letian's disappearance, in a quiet courtyard in the eastern part of the city, a middle-aged scholar was engrossed in reading. The story he was reading was not new; it was about Confucius executing Shaozheng Mao.

"An argument that has lasted for thousands of years, and there's still no consensus... These corrupt scholars, all they do is argue. Is the way of the sage just talk? For such a dangerous person, swift action is needed..."

As he spoke, a tapping sound came from the window. "Sir, Dragon has safely left the city, but for some reason, he hasn't made his move..."

"Hmm?" The middle-aged scholar's eyes widened, and his presence was intimidating. "Send someone to urge him again. Tell him clearly that if he succeeds, I will clear his family's name for three generations!"

"Yes, sir!" The person outside the window disappeared immediately.