Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 37 Worry-Free Cave

Speak of the devil, and he appears! At that moment, another group of people rushed over in a flurry—it was Chunyu Shuang, Xie Mingchen, and Wei Yuan. Wait, Chunyu Shuang and Wei Yuan are one thing, they're practically related in terms of expertise, but why is Xie Mingchen here too? Isn't he a royal physician?
Perhaps Jiu Que's questioning gaze was too obvious, so Qi Zheng tried to explain gently.

"If the children are injured, having an imperial physician present will make treatment easier."

Alright. Since they've thought it through so clearly, she couldn't just let Xie Mingchen go back. However, she was a little puzzled. Why did this powerful Qi Zheng trust her so much to find his son? She was just a low-ranking official of the sixth rank, and had only been in the capital for three days; how could she have become so famous already?
However, saying anything now would be a waste of time. With the help of the entire capital's military forces, Jiu Que had also obtained a map of the city's waterways from Qi Zheng. This map was extremely valuable; if the person involved in today's incident hadn't been Qi Zheng's son, Emperor Jingtai would never have allowed anyone else to obtain it. Even so, this map could only be seen by Jiu Que alone.

Fortunately, Ying Jiuque had taken a criminal investigation course in her spare time. Although she didn't learn it in great detail, she still received praise from the professor when she submitted her assignment. Now, looking at this detailed water system map, it was somewhat helpful in finding the person.

They quickly located the spot where Lin Mingde and Qi Bao'er had gone missing. There was a main river between them, from which twenty-seven smaller waterways branched off, and among them were thirteen bridges.

"Lord Qi, these thirteen bridges might be a breakthrough. Although it's regrettable, I have to tell you the truth. More than an hour has passed since your son went missing. The hope is slim, but not impossible. In short, regardless of whether we can find your child, I hope you will do your best. As long as he is still in the city, we can find him. However, it's best if you don't reveal your child's identity information to others."

"After all, a cornered dog will do the deed. Those kidnappers might not even know that it's your child, and it would be bad if they acted in a moment of panic. Besides, dogs have their code, and cats have theirs. If those kidnappers only wanted to kidnap children, they wouldn't need to target you. Since they've actually taken action, you should consider whether you've offended anyone. They might not be trying to kidnap children, but rather seeking revenge."

As they rode at breakneck speed, Ying Jiuque took a moment to speak with Qi Zheng. Seeing him deep in thought, she turned to look at Chunyu Shuang. Chunyu Shuang already knew the details of the situation on the way, and she was now also closely monitoring the situation on both sides of the road.

Meeting Ying Jiuque's worried gaze, Chunyu Shuang tightened her grip on the reins, knowing that she and Ying Jiuque were thinking the same thing.

Tonight's large-scale search isn't the best course of action, but the matter is of great importance; even His Majesty is aware of it, especially since it involves an earl. It's no longer possible to handle it discreetly. No, perhaps it involves two? After all, the Earl of Weiyuan and the Earl of Anyuan are brothers.

Remembering that the Earl of Weiyuan had secluded himself from visitors for over a decade, virtually disappearing from the court, while his elder brother, the Earl of Anyuan, now commanded the city's garrison and wielded considerable influence in court, one wondered if he might be blocking someone's path.
Recalling the complex and chaotic situation in the court, Chunyu Shuang rubbed her temples and told Ying Jiuque about it.

Qi Zheng was also silently processing what the two girls had just said. He was actually somewhat suspicious that he had been wronged this time. But if those filthy lurking in the shadows thought they could bully others at will just because they had lost their official positions, they were sorely mistaken!
Jiu Que had only been in the capital for three days and knew nothing of factional infighting, but he understood the implication of what was being said. If adult matters involved children, it would be utterly disgusting. As he painstakingly surveyed the surroundings, he noticed young women in the search party and frowned. He immediately ordered the young women and children in the crowd to go home. The situation was different now; with things so chaotic outside, it was best for those who were easy targets to avoid trouble.

"Attention everyone! Each household must leave a able-bodied person to guard the door. Do not open the door to anyone except your closest relatives! If you notice anything unusual, immediately ring the copper basin and gong to call for help! There are patrolling soldiers all around. If they hear you, they will rush over immediately! Remember, everyone, protect yourselves first!"

The surrounding people agreed with the assessment.

Jiu Que finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. The sky was gradually darkening, and the weather was getting colder. The faces around her were beginning to blur. She rubbed her nose, preparing to have everyone hold up their lanterns, when suddenly a gentle breeze swept before her eyes, and she seemed to smell a very fresh scent, like the wind, like a quilt that had been sun-dried for a long time, like flowers blooming in a field…

Feeling something strange in her palm, Jiu Que looked down and saw a small crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

"My lord!" Just as Jiu Que was looking down, Wei Yuan's subordinate was the first to report good news. They had found a person hiding in a sewer about 500 paces ahead. The person's behavior was strange; instead of going home at a time like this, he was hiding in a sewer. Who knew if he was a kidnapper? They simply arrested him. Right now, the guy saw Qi Zheng and was trembling and kneeling, begging for mercy.

It seems this guy with the scar on his face is aware of Qi Zheng's reputation. Chunyu Shuang had originally thought it would take some effort, but she didn't expect this newly captured kidnapper to be so cooperative.

"Why are you cooperating like this? Are you deliberately trying to mislead us?"

"Don't dare!"

The cripple knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

“Eighteen years ago, during the great battle with the Northern Barbarians, I witnessed the heroic figure of Marquis Weiyuan. Marquis Weiyuan killed countless enemies for the Great Jing and is a hero of the Great Jing. We, we dare not disobey.”

Qi Zheng took a closer look at the figure and movements of the person kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly, as well as the unforgettable, trained mannerisms etched into his bones. His expression suddenly turned ugly.

"Have you ever been to the battlefield?"

People who once fought on the battlefield to kill the enemy and defend their country have now become traffickers? This is a disgrace to the military!
"No, no, no! I am not a kidnapper! I am just trying to make a living by selling antiques! I would never dare to do such a heinous thing as kidnapping or mutilating people! I even want to be buried in my ancestral grave. I would never dare to bear such a crime!"

"Then why were you hiding there? And why did you try to run away when you saw us?"

"I... well, although I wouldn't dare to kidnap children, my profession isn't exactly honorable. I thought you gentlemen were here to arrest me..."

Wei Yuan's men's faces darkened. They thought they had done something meritorious, but it turned out they were just cowards!
"You're not telling the truth."

Jiu Que finally raised his head and looked at the person with a calm expression.

"Although you didn't do anything to abduct children, you must know them. Otherwise, why would you be hiding in the sewers? No, to put it another way, why would you be hiding in the Worry-Free Cave?"

Upon hearing this, not only the unfortunate man who was arrested, but also everyone around him, instantly turned extremely ugly!

Worry-Free Cave!
(End of this chapter)