RPAGF Chapter 218 Incitement
Chapter 218 Incitement
The merchants weren't really in a hurry. As Wang Da Hu said, it wouldn't be a big deal if the ship departed a few hours later.
But Tiger was not willing to give up. There were so many boats at this ferry crossing. If they finished checking today, it would be dark by the time they found the person. The officers and soldiers would not give up easily.
What if they leave a squad of soldiers to guard the ferry crossing and continue the inspection tomorrow? Wouldn't they be unable to leave with those dozen or so young ladies?
So he deliberately talked to the surrounding merchants, trying to incite them to be the first to take the lead.
If he continues to insist on demanding letters personally written by the magistrate from the clerk, it will inevitably attract attention, and if people become suspicious, he will be setting himself up for trouble.
So he whispered, "Our magistrate of Dushui County is a well-known incorruptible official. He handles even cases much smaller than this personally. With so many young girls missing these past two days, how could the magistrate not personally lead the team to handle such a big case? Could it be that something has happened to the magistrate?"
Everyone agreed with what the tiger said and began to discuss it heatedly.
"Yes, the magistrate is always diligent and loves the people. When he encounters a major case, he personally leads the team to handle it. How could he possibly order a mere clerk to handle it?"
"That's right, something must have happened to the magistrate. Could it be that he's been persecuted by villains and taken into custody?"
"It's possible, very likely..."
"We want to see the magistrate, we absolutely must see the magistrate..."
“Produce the letter written in the magistrate’s own handwriting, or have the magistrate come in person. Otherwise, we cannot be convinced.”
Everyone was talking at once, and the scene was chaotic.
The clerk felt a chill run down his spine. He gritted his teeth, pulled out the official's seal from his sleeve, and held it up for everyone to see.
"The disappearance of more than ten women is a serious matter that should not be underestimated. Everyone here may have wives and daughters, and should understand that a woman's reputation is of utmost importance."
The magistrate ordered us to come to the ferry to inspect, but he took his men to search other places house by house, so he didn't have time to write a letter. Fearing that people wouldn't believe him, he handed me his seal.
The longer you obstruct them, the more dangerous those young girls become. These gentlemen and ladies are all family members of the missing women. We are all born of parents, and we should be able to understand their eagerness to find their daughters.
This advisor promises that as long as the boats pass inspection and are found to be in good condition, they will be released immediately. There will be no difficulties for anyone; please cooperate.
The merchants saw the couples supporting each other behind the clerk. The ladies were covered in tears and looked very haggard. It didn't seem like they were faking it. Their eyes were filled with anger, anxiety and expectation.
The crowd gradually quieted down, and many people softened and stopped trying to stop them.
Xiao Jiu was always clever. He noticed that the merchants were initially hesitant, but as soon as someone stirred them up, they started talking amongst themselves, asking the clerk for a letter written by the magistrate himself, and speculating whether the magistrate had gotten into trouble.
So he stared intently at the crowd, trying his best to find the person who had incited them.
Fortunately, he soon spotted the tiger.
As soon as everyone quieted down, he would mutter something to himself, seemingly talking to those around him.
But it's easy to guess that what he said wasn't anything nice.
Xiao Jiu noticed that the tiger's eyes were fierce and he didn't look like a good person, so he immediately went up to report to the clerk.
“Master, there’s a man there who keeps stirring up suspicion about you and asking you for the magistrate’s personal documents. Have someone arrest him; you might be able to find out something from him.”
The clerk also found the man very suspicious. He was dressed plainly, yet claimed to be a merchant who was in a hurry to ship goods. Among the social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were ranked at the very bottom. Even if they were in a hurry, they wouldn't dare to obstruct the government's investigation, would they?
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!
So the advisor turned around and gave the two soldiers a look, signaling them to go and catch the tiger.
Seeing that something was wrong, the tiger immediately slipped away quietly.
The advisor shouted, "Quick...grab him! He's suspicious!"
The crowd was in turmoil, and before the officers and soldiers could even squeeze in, the tiger had already pushed its way out and escaped.
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that the tiger was no longer at the scene. The deserters ran out of the ferry to chase after it, but even after splitting into several groups, they couldn't catch up.
Shen Qianchuan said regretfully, "Only today did I realize what it means to be a useless scholar. I didn't even realize that there was something wrong with that person. If I had known, I would have definitely gone up and held him down."
Xiao Jiu said irritably, "Fourth Uncle, with your frail body, how can you fight against those vicious, greedy people who don't care about their lives?"
"It's getting late. You should try driving the carriage back to Qinghe Town by yourself first. In any case, Uncle Qingchuan and Aunt Liu have the right to know about Xiaotang's disappearance."
Shen Qianchuan refused without hesitation, “Xiao Tang has not been found yet, how can I go back? It’s all my fault as the fourth uncle for being useless and not being able to protect her. She was kidnapped by bad guys. I have no face to see my elder brother and sister-in-law if I can’t find Xiao Tang today. If you want to go back, go back and tell them. I’m not going back.”
Xiao Jiu felt guilty and said with a regretful look, "Fourth Uncle, this is not your fault. It all started because of me. If I hadn't squeezed into the crowd to buy candied hawthorns without saying a word, she wouldn't have come looking for me and been kidnapped by bad guys instead. I have to stay here with Master Shi until we find Xiao Tang."
Shen Qianchuan was also in a low mood. He came out with his niece, but failed to bring her back. How could he have the face to go back first?
It's all his fault for being useless. He can't study well, he can't run a business, and he can't even take care of a child.
Xiao Tang has been missing for half a day. No one knows where she is, where she was taken, whether she is with those girls, whether she was beaten, or whether she has eaten.
His eyes reddened. "Xiao Jiu, you go back first. I am her fourth uncle, and I must find her myself. Go back and tell my elder brother and sister-in-law."
The two argued back and forth, and in the end, neither was willing to leave.
When the clerk saw that the person who had incited the crowd had run away, he thought that the man must be the villain who had kidnapped the young ladies. It seemed that they hadn't had time to take the young ladies on the boat and transport them out yet, which was why they were preventing the soldiers from inspecting them and insisting on asking him for a document written in the magistrate's own handwriting. Could it be that the other party knew that the magistrate was not in the county and wanted to use this to drive them away from the ferry.
If that's the case, he must leave a squad of soldiers to guard the ferry crossing and prevent the villains from taking advantage of the situation.
They cannot leave Dushui County unless they bring the girls onto the boat.
He ordered, "Everyone, hurry up and search each boat one by one. If there's nothing wrong, let them pass immediately. If there's anything wrong, arrest them on the spot!"
The instigator ran away, and the merchants stopped obstructing them. The soldiers quickly searched, and after about an hour, they finally checked all the boats docked at the ferry, but found no missing young lady on any of them.
The advisor had no choice but to wave his hand and let them pass!
He thought for a moment and then ordered the troops to retreat.
Upon hearing this, the men and women who had lost their daughters immediately erupted in uproar. Why were they stopping the search when the girls hadn't even been found yet?
"Master, that man has escaped. He might be trying to secretly take our daughter away by boat. You must leave someone here to keep watch. We can't let even a fly get away. If they leave by boat, how will we live if we never see our daughter again?"
The advisor looked impatient. "We've searched and investigated, but didn't you see? He's run away and we haven't caught him. If he's determined to hide, where are we supposed to find him in this vast sea of people?"
If a squad of soldiers were left behind, those people would certainly not dare to appear at the ferry crossing.
He decided to withdraw the troops first, and then have the officers and soldiers change into civilian clothes and stand guard at the ferry crossing.