Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 33 Another child has gone missing!
Yang Linyuan broke out in a cold sweat, his entire body stiffening. However, being from a military family, he still had the reflexes to react quickly. He ordered his men to surround the entire Huicui Building, where tall, burly guards tightly encircled him, preventing anyone from escaping.

Huicui Tower was one of the most famous restaurants in the capital, frequented by high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and powerful figures. The sudden restriction of their movements naturally caused discontent among many, but upon seeing Yang Linyuan's bloodshot and ferocious eyes, they all temporarily held back. After all, they all knew that the Earl of Weiyuan only had this one precious son, whom he cherished like the apple of his eye. His sudden disappearance, coupled with the fact that everyone around him had been subdued, meant it couldn't have been an unintentional loss; someone had definitely stolen him!
Those with keen senses couldn't help but gasp in shock. Who on earth had the audacity to steal from the only son of the Marquis of Weiyuan?! The capital was about to be thrown into chaos!

Even though he reacted in time and surrounded the entire Huicui Building, Yang Linyuan still couldn't find his little cousin. He was so anxious that he was burning with anxiety. After realizing that he was incapable of handling the matter, he immediately contacted his second uncle, who usually stayed in the mansion and rarely went out to socialize.

Yang Linyuan's second uncle, who rushed over in a ferocious manner, looked like a demon crawling out of hell! Yang Linyuan felt he would have nightmares for three days and three nights!

Instead of conducting a large-scale search, his second uncle, after inquiring about the situation, immediately made a decision and hurriedly took him to the palace.

"...I really only went out for a short while. When I came back, no one was awake, but all the doors and windows were closed, and the Hui Cui Building was heavily surrounded. No one had escaped, but Bao'er was nowhere to be found..."

Seeing Yang Linyuan's distraught and pale appearance, Emperor Jingtai kindly refrained from questioning him. He couldn't believe he'd lost his younger cousin while just having a meal, all because he'd gone out to watch the commotion—how unreliable!

But now is not the time to hold him accountable; the most important thing is to find the child first.

"Summon the Minister of Justice, the Left and Right Vice Ministers, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, the Vice Minister, and the Commander of the City Patrol Army..."

Soon, these officials from the criminal justice department rushed to His Majesty's side. After hearing the whole story, they couldn't help but look troubled. According to Yang Linyuan's account, the private room was an impenetrable secret chamber. The only son of the Marquis of Weiyuan was five years old this year. Although young, he was not a cat or dog that could be easily taken away by simply stuffing him in one's arms.

Moreover, when Marquis Weiyuan was in the army, he was in charge of intelligence gathering. Even his keen eyes couldn't spot the clues...

Faced with the Marquis of Weiyuan's bloodshot eyes and His Majesty's cold gaze, no one dared to voice any objection. Moments later, the entire capital sprang into action at an unprecedented pace. The main roads crisscrossing the city were blocked, city patrols were conducted in large groups, and all suspicious individuals were imprisoned. At this point, there was no room for argument about wrong arrests; it was better to arrest a hundred innocent people than to miss one!

When the whole city was under martial law, Jiu Que was still wandering around the streets. Everything was normal until he heard a commotion in the distance. Moreover, those people with panicked and grief-stricken faces seemed a little familiar.
As the group drew closer, Jiu Que finally recognized them: weren't these Old Mu and his old neighbors from Tonghua Lane? Why were they so flustered? And why were they shouting something...?

"The child! The child is missing!"

“My grandson! My Mingde! I just turned around and he was gone! Did you see him? He was about this tall, with a red mole the size of a mung bean on his left ear! He was very handsome! Didn’t you all see him? Has anyone else seen him?”

"And my daughter! My daughter is missing too! She's only four years old, with her hair in two buns, wearing a bright red dress. Has anyone seen her? Please, please give my daughter back to me..."

Jiu Que hurried a few steps forward, and upon hearing the series of cries and pleas, his brows furrowed tightly. He then stopped the unsteady Lin Da Niang. At this moment, Lin Da Niang was nowhere to be seen; her hair had turned much whiter, and her face was filled with dejection and anxiety. Her helpless eyes were so pitiful that it was unbearable to look at her directly.

"Aunt Lin, Aunt Lin! What happened? Your grandson is missing? When did he go missing? What clothes was he wearing before he went missing? Where did he disappear?" Through her tear-filled eyes, Aunt Lin saw the familiar Ying Jiuque and heard these earnest and detailed questions. She choked up for a moment, and for some reason, she felt a surge of energy and hurriedly spoke.

"My grandson lives on this street, maybe in this area."

Pointing to the surroundings where she was standing, Aunt Lin tightly grasped Ying Jiuque's hand, overwhelmed with self-reproach.

"He was wearing a light blue robe, with his name embroidered on the lining. His name was Lin Mingde! About an incense stick's time ago, I brought him to this street to buy needles and thread. He was standing right next to me, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone! It's all my fault! I shouldn't have let go of his hand, I really shouldn't have..."

"What about the peddler who sells needles and thread?"

"That's him! He's right here!"

The man selling needles and thread was a young man in his early twenties, and he was also covered in sweat. This was something you wouldn't expect when buying things from his stall; if word got out, people might think he was involved in a child abduction!
The young man broke out in a cold sweat when he saw Ying Jiuque's official robes clearly.

"Sir, I really didn't see when the child went missing. The vendors around me can testify that my stall was doing very well at the time, and I was busy serving customers. How could I have noticed this old lady's grandson? But I, I really am not a kidnapper! I would never do such a heinous thing!"

Ying Jiuque turned to the merchants next to him who also looked anxious.

"The young man has been setting up his stall here for several days now. He's a very honest and kind person, and he never cheats on the weight of goods, so the neighbors all like to buy their groceries from him. But we didn't see him very closely. There were just too many people gathered around here, and even more with children, so we didn't notice..."

"I don't know why, there were so many customers just now, but none of them came to buy anything from us. I even took a second look, but I didn't see Mingde disappear at all."

After asking the vendors on both sides and across the street, Jiu Que received similar answers. He pondered for a moment and carefully observed his surroundings.

We've just confirmed that the child hasn't gone home; they've disappeared on this street. If they've really been abducted, the next half hour is the best time to find them. If we miss that window, it will be much harder to find them again.

The surroundings were filled with the sounds of grief, sorrow, and regret from the crowd, a chaotic cacophony. Jiu Que rubbed her head, a shimmering light flashing in her eyes, the gurgling of the water continuing unabated. Jiu Que's gaze shifted slightly, looking towards the slowly flowing river behind the young man selling groceries.

(End of this chapter)