Chapter 41: Agreeing to Gather Information

Chapter 41: Agreeing to Gather Information

The youngster never expected that after the Su family's young miss had him play the part of a beggar, instead of venting her anger, she would come to him for information.

He felt a bit fortunate but soon realized his misfortune. If he had known that this wealthy young lady recognized him and wanted information from him, he would have openly extorted money with the news, rather than resorting to begging.

As his mind raced, his cunning eyes began to wander, only to be met with a cold, menacing glare from the silent man beside Su Youyue in the next instant.

The youngster instantly shivered in fear and dared not harbor any more devious thoughts.

"I know, I know... I've heard of such cases. The children kidnapped to the Imperial City are very young, none older than five. After being kept by the kidnappers for a while, they wouldn't recognize their families or remember their homes. As long as the noble person doesn't buy children under five, they won't get those with unclear backgrounds."

Su Youyue pressed further, "Are there many such incidents?"

The boy belatedly realized that her main concern wasn't about buying children, so he ventured a guess, "There are quite a few, actually. Kidnappers are sly. They'd sell the older kids elsewhere to avoid trouble, while the younger ones who don't remember much are sent to the Imperial City. These children come from all corners of the land."

Seeing Su Youyue waiting for more, he continued, "There are also kidnapped children in Yanjing, but fewer. The lucky ones might end up as servants in wealthy households. The unlucky ones, if they're good-looking, might be bought by brothels to be groomed in advance. The unattractive ones might even die on the way."

Speaking of his own origins, the youngster added, "Women kidnapped to brothels suffer even more. If they resist, they're beaten or starved. If they still resist, they're drowned repeatedly until they become foolish and obedient. Those who dare to speak out might have their tongues cut out or mouths sewn shut. If they write for help, their fingers might be severed..."

The adults in the room fell into an eerie silence. Noticing the tense atmosphere, the mischievous boy immediately clamped his mouth shut. After a while, he cautiously ventured, "Your Excellency... I've told you everything I know. Please spare me this once?"

Su Youyue exhaled slowly.

In her previous life, hearing Xiao Feiyan's fate stirred pity within her, but it was only a vague impression. Now, after the boy's account, the suffering Xiao Feiyan endured materialized vividly in her mind.

How many other innocent women like Xiao Feiyan were there?

Abducted victims struggled amidst the wickedness of the world, most never reuniting with their families. They never imagined that their last goodbye would be to their loved ones before they were taken.

Their bereaved relatives might never even learn of their deaths, clinging to faint hopes, repeatedly lost in the endless sea of humanity.

This world, where people preyed on others, was far darker than she had ever imagined.

Su Youyue turned her attention back to Xie Yuan beside her.

In her past life, she had fixated on Xie Yuan as a villain, his hands stained with blood. But now, reflecting on it, revealing such a shocking case of human trafficking to the entire Great Sheng Dynasty and executing those traffickers by slow slicing—wasn't that also a meritorious act in his quest to reinstate the deposed crown prince?

Noticing her frequent glances at him today, Xie Yuan couldn't help but look over.

Their eyes met in the air, but Su Youyue quickly averted hers.

Not out of fear, but out of guilt.

In this world, good and evil were not always so clearly defined. Why had she so blindly judged Xie Yuan as an evil man in her previous life?

The young boy whispered, "A noble person?"

But Su Youyue still had questions. "Did any of what you just mentioned happen at the neighboring brokerage?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the young boy's expression changed.

How could he dare to speak freely about such matters? If his words harmed the interests of those at the brokerage, they would surely make his life miserable!

He was about to claim ignorance when Su Youyue interjected, "Seems like it did. I had a feeling that Manager Wang wasn't an upright person. To think that he would engage in such despicable acts. How can I ever feel safe buying people from him again?"

The young boy's face paled. Although he couldn't afford to offend Miss Su, they didn't usually cross paths. Manager Wang, on the other hand, held sway over all the local street powers. If he found out about these remarks, the young boy knew he would be in grave danger.

"Noble person... I, I don't know. I didn't say Manager Wang did..."

Su Youyue threw ten taels of silver onto the table, interrupting his words, "Rest assured, apart from you, only my people are in this private room today. They won't divulge anything to the outside world. I don't need you to deliberately seek out information either. Just pass on any news you hear about Manager Wang to me, and I'll reward you handsomely."

She was well aware of whether Manager Wang was guilty or not. The crucial point was to divert Xie Yuan's attention onto him.

The boy, whose face had been ashen, now gazed at the silver on the table with gleaming eyes.

This was ten taels of silver!

He knew that, even by following the storyteller and earning his keep, he could at most make one hundred and fifty copper coins a month. That old miser would often deduct two or three coins from his earnings...

His monthly rent for the shabby little courtyard he lived in cost eighty coins; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to survive the winter. The remaining coins were barely enough to keep his stomach from growling.

A single tael of silver was equivalent to a thousand coins, which would sustain him for half a year if he lived frugally.

In the past, he had tried to stage accidents twice, but the first time, he was chased away, and the second time, the person he approached wasn't wealthy and only gave him one tael of silver – yet that small fortune had made him ecstatic for over a month.

It was because he hadn't provoked anyone during his previous attempts that he dared to try again. Who knew that it would backfire this time?

How could he possibly let go of such an opportunity to earn money?

Fortune favors the brave, and the young lad, with determination in his heart, agreed promptly, "Alright, I promise, honored person..."

After instructing him on how to convey the message, Su Youyue watched as the boy tucked the ten taels of silver into his bosom and left, her gaze gradually settling.

Completely clueless about her lady's intentions, Jin'er couldn't help but inquire, "Miss, it seems that Manager Wang did commit that heinous act. But what can we do even if we know about it?"

Su Youyue clenched her fists in the air, feigning ignorance, "Of course, we'll gather evidence to report him to the authorities! Human traffickers deserve death, and I won't tolerate it!"

She had no other choice; unless she played this card, how could she possibly draw Xie Yuan's attention and bring the investigation of Manager Wang out in the open?

She was entirely unaware of the progress between Xie Yuan and the former prince's men, and she didn't wish to arouse suspicion from the astute Xie Yuan. Thus, she resorted to acting naive.

Jin'er instantly felt that her lady was too kind-hearted. With a pat on her chest, she pledged, "Miss, don't worry, Jin'er will assist you!"

"..." Observing the pair, who seemed to share a single brain cell between them, Xie Yuan tugged at the corners of his mouth. He finally spoke up, unable to hold back any longer, "Eldest Miss, those who dare to commit crimes within the Imperial City must have someone backing them. How else could they be so brazen?"

To Su Youyue's surprise, Xie Yuan had taken the bait so quickly. She blinked innocently, "You're right. Then, what should I do?"