Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 35: Get your weapons!
Jiu Que's advance suddenly halted, and the surrounding crowd, who had been cooperating, froze. What did they mean by "there are women too"? Did these kidnappers abduct girls as well as children?
The seemingly honest and simple man, realizing what had happened, lost all color in his already pale face. He had actually revealed the organization's secret in public; his superiors would definitely not let him off! But then he thought, "Black Third Brother was the first to betray the organization; even if he dies, at least he'll have someone to take him down with him."

But the next moment, the crowd parted slightly, and he saw the third brother, his mouth tightly gagged, looking utterly shocked. For a fleeting instant, the man felt a chill run through him, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. That commotion had all been fake! That female official had lied to him! She had tricked him into becoming the first traitor!

No! He can't be exposed. He knows all the methods his superiors use; he'll definitely be tortured to death in the most horrific way! He'd rather die now...

"I advise you to think this through."

Ying Jiuque's gentle voice sounded like a whisper from hell to the man, sending shivers down his spine.

"The imperial court has long intended to crack down on human traffickers across the country. Do you want to be the first innocent victim to die at the hands of your fellow traffickers, or do you want to turn around and become the court's dog, biting off pieces of your comrades to survive? It's an easy choice, isn't it? After all, you've already betrayed your accomplices. Do you think they'd let you live without the court's protection? It's much easier to let others die than to die yourself. Who wants to die if they can live?"

The man's eyelids twitched rapidly, clearly indicating that Ying Jiuque's words had not had no effect on him.

"Take your friend for example, he's eager to be the first to bite back, but I don't know which of you will be able to seize this opportunity."

The man knew that Ying Jiuque's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, but when faced with a life-or-death moment, few people could control themselves. He seemed to have struggled for a long time, but when he saw that Ying Jiuque was walking towards Hei Laosan without any hesitation, he finally couldn't control his will to survive.

"I'll talk! Don't kill me!"

Once they got them to talk, things became much easier. Eager to atone for their crimes, the two blurted out everything they knew, and Ying Jiuque quickly pieced together the events. The thief had transported the stolen children to various hidden locations via river channels, bridge arches, and sewers; the six they had just rescued hadn't had time to be moved yet.

"What about that little boy with the red mole on his ear? He's about five years old."

You mean Lin Mingde?

Contrary to popular belief, the third brother of the gang was actually quite clear about who he had kidnapped, and was now filled with regret.

"That's a handsome child. Children like that fetch a higher price, so naturally, the higher-ups prioritize sending him away. One child like that is worth several others. He's probably already been sent away by now..."

"I kill you!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Lin's father rushed forward and began to beat the two kidnappers mercilessly! The children's relatives, of course, didn't hold back either, and cries of pain filled the air. Ying Jiuque silently withdrew. She had already learned what she wanted to know. Besides, she had only said she would save the other party's life, not that he wouldn't suffer physical pain.

But now there's a problem. Although there are many enthusiastic neighbors around, they are just ordinary people who haven't received special training and may not be able to keep up with the speed. So where can we find a large number of people to help?

"Boom boom boom——"

A series of orderly footsteps approached from afar. A patrol of heavily armored soldiers jogged to disperse the crowd. When they saw the large group of people gathered there, the leader's expression turned serious. But before they could disperse the crowd, they saw two men with bruised and swollen faces lying in the middle of the crowd, being punched repeatedly until they saw each other and cried for help.

Although they were currently under extremely important imperial orders, they couldn't just stand by and watch the other side cause trouble. However, after listening to everyone's excited explanations of what had happened, the patrol squad leader's expression turned ashen. His gaze towards the two thugs was then rather complicated. "So you two, who should be in jail, are begging us for help? You must be out of your minds!"
No, that's not the point. The point is that they've been ordered to search the entire city for the stolen only son of the Marquis of Weiyuan, and they've already found six stolen children! I wonder if that noble young master is among them.

Thinking of this, the squad leader was very tempted and decisively took the six children into the palace. However, he still had some conscience and left most of his men for Ying Jiuque to command. Ying Jiuque, not caring that the other party was stealing his credit, ordered these well-trained city guards to run quickly along the river and check every bend and underpass. Even if these men were good swimmers, they couldn't stay underwater forever; they would eventually have to come out for air.

Then there are the neighbors. The power of the masses has always been great, a fact that Ying Jiuque firmly believes.

"Dear elders, brothers and sisters, Jiu Que earnestly requests your help. These kidnappers have abducted far more than just these few children; many innocent children are still missing. Time is of the essence; if they are not found today, they may never be found again. I am not a high-ranking official and cannot offer you much in return, but helping others is helping ourselves. I am willing to give half of my wealth to the brave souls who catch these kidnappers! I hope you can all lend a hand..."

A moment of silence fell around them. Ying Jiuque, who had bent down deeply, gritted his teeth. Was half of his wealth still not enough? The image of Xiao Niba's bare hands flashed before his eyes. Thinking that there were still children who might be in such danger, Ying Jiuque's eyes stung with tears.

Taking a deep breath, Jiu Que thought, "A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men," and was about to offer his entire fortune as a reward when countless hands suddenly appeared in his lowered gaze. Jiu Que felt as if he had been lifted up, and looked around at his flushed and excited neighbors, somewhat bewildered, unable to quite process what was happening.

But the next moment, Aunt Lin cried out!
"Lord Ying! This is what we should do, you don't need to do this! They're looking for our child too!"

"That's right! Old buddies! Hurry up! Don't dawdle, go in the direction Master Ying points! Don't let those petty thieves get away! Those damned bastards, if they dare to kidnap one today, they can kidnap ten tomorrow! Which of us doesn't have children? Which of us doesn't have young ladies of marriageable age? If we can't catch them, we'll be the ones who suffer!"

"Grab your weapons! Charge! Don't let them get away!"

(End of this chapter)