Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The wooden door was gently pushed open, and Zhou Wenqing was standing outside.

"Guest Yao, you've arrived." A'Ruo said softly, looking down at the child in her arms. "This child has woken up. I was just about to go to the kitchen to cook her something soft."

"I see. Thank you for your help, Miss Aruo." Zhou Wenqing nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the small child in his arms. Seeing that although her face was pale, her eyes were clear, he felt a little relieved. Then he looked at Aruo, his tone full of gratitude.

"Since you arrived this morning, Miss, you have been taking care of these girls without stopping for a moment. It must have been very hard work. If it weren't for your and Madam Qing's help, I would have been surrounded by rough and unruly guards. I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to take good care of these delicate children."

What he said was true. When those children were rescued last night, they were all covered in dirt and their clothes were tattered. Some of them had high fevers, and some had injuries. Doctor Lü and his team were extremely busy.

Although the guards could help, they were ultimately men. It was alright with the boys; they could just take off their clothes and apply medicine, and apart from their hands being a little rough, it was fine. But it was a bit inconvenient for the girls.

If it weren't for Madam Qing saying that she would come over to be a guide after A'Ruo went back to pack, I would have thought that she would come along when everyone set off. I didn't expect her to arrive so soon, early the next morning.

At that moment, Han Fei and Yao Jia were busy leading people to safely transport the rescued children to the post station.

Last night, the two of them had been guarding the alley for a short time when Li Yi led Wang Wu, the governor of Sanchuan County, and his troops to arrive in haste.

With the arrival of officers and soldiers, manpower was instantly sufficient, and the defense could be turned into offense.

Han Fei immediately issued a cold order: "Distribute your troops into ranks immediately, using this alley as the center, and spread outwards layer by layer, checking each house one by one!"

"All empty houses, abandoned courtyards, dilapidated stoves, underground cellars, and hidden rooms behind walls must be thoroughly searched! No place should be missed, no corner overlooked! People who hide filth and depravity especially love to use abandoned houses to hide young children; they must not be given even the slightest opportunity to hide or conceal themselves!"

He abandoned his usual calm and refined demeanor when discussing books and contemplating the Dao; his brows suddenly turned cold and deep, like an icy pool, and he exuded the upright and dignified air of a renowned scholar from Jixia Academy, commanding respect without anger and possessing an imposing presence.

A cold sweat quietly seeped down Wang Wu's back. He dared not utter a word of negligence, and quickly bowed in response. He then turned around and swiftly assigned manpower to each team of soldiers.

Yao Jia stood aside, looking at the dark alley, and frowned as he added, "Also, Prefect Wang, send another team to set up roadblocks along the river and seal off the ferry crossing. Tonight, not a single boat moored at the ferry crossing is allowed to leave."

He feared that the traffickers would have already moved the children before they discovered them, so he couldn't let any boat that remained at the ferry dock tonight go.

Since they had already alerted the enemy, Han Fei and Yao Jia were in agreement: they might as well go all out and openly launch a search and arrest operation for a swift and decisive victory.

They worried that if they were hesitant and slow in their investigation, they would give these desperate criminals time. If they were pushed to the limit, they might seal off the cellar and bury the children to cover up their crimes, killing them as well, and then pretending to be innocent civilians to get away with it. That would be a devastating regret.

A group of inhuman villains, ruthless and depraved, capable of anything.

Han Fei and Yao Jia exchanged a glance, their eyes both filled with a deep, cold light. Without saying a word, they had already reached a tacit understanding.

I just hope... there's still time.

The night had not yet faded completely; the waning moon hung on the eaves, its cold light spilling onto the bluestone slabs. All around was so quiet that only the soldiers' slow footsteps and the sound of the wind could be heard.

The county soldiers, in pairs, took advantage of the cover of night to patrol house by house without making a fuss or shouting. They swept past like a gust of wind and rushed to the next house. Although lights were lit one by one, the strict orders prevented them from causing too much of a disturbance.

The investigation continued until they reached an abandoned house. Yao Jia listened carefully and faintly heard shouting and cursing coming from inside. He raised his hand, signaling everyone to tread lightly.

It was because they acted quickly, and because these villains were greedy, that they didn't notice that their companion who went to chase the girl hadn't returned yet. They were still immersed in the greed of dividing the loot, arguing about who had put in more effort during the kidnapping and should get more money. They were arguing heatedly and their faces were red.

"These bastards have been eyeing this place. I deserve the most credit, so I should get the biggest share of the money."

"Who the hell do you call yourself 'I'? If I hadn't been the lookout, would you have succeeded? I should get the lion's share!"

"I think whoever catches them gets to keep them. These guys behind me, nobody's getting a share!"

Yao Jia stood outside, listening to the rough, hoarse arguments inside. A cold, upward twitch appeared on his lips, then he lifted his foot—

"Bang--!"

The rotten wooden door shattered with a crash and collapsed to the ground.

The people in the courtyard all turned their heads. The torchlight shone in, revealing the greed, astonishment, and fear on their faces that they hadn't yet concealed, exposing their ugly side.

Immediately afterwards, the soldiers swarmed forward, their cold blades pressed directly against the necks of the thugs, their chilling aura palpable.

The villains who had just been shouting and snarling, vying for credit and boasting to each other, were instantly terrified, trembling with fear. A foul stench quietly spread, and someone had wet their pants.

A bunch of bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong, Han Fei frowned in disgust, feeling utterly nauseous.

One moment these people were shouting, "I kidnapped this child, the credit is mine!" and the next they collapsed to the ground, weeping and begging for forgiveness, vying to shift the blame onto others and desperately trying to clear themselves of any wrongdoing.

One by one, they cried out that they were innocent and kowtowed repeatedly. Some said it was the idea of ​​their accomplices, some said they were forced to do it, and some even more outrageous said that they were just passing by and knew nothing!

Han Fei didn't bother listening to these clumsy sophistry. He stepped over the fallen wooden door and bent down to enter the courtyard.

Under the firelight, the scene inside the courtyard was extremely glaring—

Scattered on the ground were rough hemp ropes covered in dust, with thick, taut knots and traces of undried blood and stray hairs—all marks left by the children's struggles.

The children lay sprawled in small groups on the cold, muddy ground, huddled together in fear as they were startled by the sudden sound of the door being broken down. Their eyes were filled with terror.

Some children have been tormented to the point of numbness, their eyes are empty and dull, devoid of any spirit, as if their souls have been taken away.

Several even younger children lay limply in the corner, their eyes closed, their faces as pale as paper, already unconscious, their breaths weak and feeble.

Seeing their expressions, the murderous intent in Han Fei and Yao Jia's eyes instantly reached its peak, their bodies surging with malevolent energy, their eyes so cold they seemed ready to devour anyone.

They forced themselves to take a deep breath, suppressing their fierce aura, and quickly stepped forward, crouching down to carefully examine the children who had fallen to the ground.

Just then, a timid, trembling voice softly broke the deathly silence:

"Sir, are you here to rescue us?"

"Was it...was it Father who sent you to save me? Can we go home now?"

She tightly gripped the hand of the even younger child beside her, her small body still trembling uncontrollably. The fear in her eyes had not subsided, but she forced herself to muster her courage, looking up at Han Fei with a face full of trepidation and eager anticipation, afraid of receiving a negative answer.

Han Fei felt a sudden pang of sadness. His previously fierce expression softened instantly. He slowed his tone, nodded solemnly, and spoke each word gently yet firmly:

"Yes, we've come to rescue you. You're all safe now. The bad guys will be arrested, and no one will be able to bully you anymore. You can all go home now."

These words were like a reassuring pill, making the lifeless children blink and finally show some signs of life.

"That's wonderful! I knew Father would come to save us!"

"Waaaah... I'm saved... I was so scared... I want my mom..."

"Someone's coming to rescue us! Waaah... I want to go home..."

"Waaaaah...hiccup...waaaaah..."

The soldiers accompanying him also felt uneasy upon hearing this. They gripped their weapons even tighter, their killing intent palpable, wishing they could immediately slice and mince the men beneath their blades.

Yao Jia gritted his teeth, suppressing his surging anger, and picked up an unconscious child: "Find a few careful people to carefully put the child on the carriage, making sure he doesn't get hurt, and escort him back to the post station."

They should be sent to the county government office first, but Wang Wu dared not have any objection. He quickly selected people and ordered them to bring a prepared carriage, carefully escorting the children back to the post station.

After such a fright and then being rescued, their emotions went through ups and downs. Once they relaxed, almost all the children fell into a deep sleep before they even got off the carriage.

The youngest child was the first to wake up.