Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Ping'an County was shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning. Shops on the street gradually took down their doors, and vendors carrying their loads began to hawk their wares, creating a busy and lively atmosphere.

Xiao Yi put down his chopsticks, glanced at Qingfeng and Dongkui across from him who were engrossed in eating their porridge, and said in a low voice, "We'll split up after we finish eating."

Qingfeng, you and Dongkui should go to brothels, theaters, and teahouses where storytellers talk—don't miss any place with lots of people and lots of chatter.

I'll also go and check out other places.

Dongkui raised her head, her eyes still a little red and swollen, but her voice was very stubborn: "Brother Shi Qi, I don't need to be with Qingfeng, I can find it myself."

"If we split into three groups, will we find Sister Tao'er and Young Master Ayan faster?"

"No." Xiao Yi's tone left no room for argument. "We're unfamiliar with this place, I'd feel more at ease if the two of you went together."

Dongkui opened her mouth, but didn't say anything more. She just lowered her head and poked the pickled vegetables in her bowl hard with her chopsticks.

Qingfeng glanced at her and silently pushed one of the buns from her plate towards her.

Xiao Yi saw these subtle actions and sighed inwardly.

Dongkui and Tao'er are like sisters. She hasn't had a good night's sleep since Tao'er went missing.

But it is precisely at times like these that we cannot let her have her way.

Otherwise, if something happens to her, that little girl Tao'er might really blame her.

Xiao Yi stood up, took out a few pieces of silver from his sleeve and placed them on the table. "Let's go!"

Let's meet back at the inn at noon, don't be late.

Whether you find it or not, you still need to eat.

Without physical strength, how can I find people?

The three of them left the inn and parted ways at the street corner.

Xiao Yi went from house to house along the main street of Ping'an County, asking questions.

The cloth shop owner shook her head, saying she had never seen it before. The clerk at the general store stared at the portrait for a long time before finally smiling apologetically.

The blacksmith's furnace was blazing, and the blacksmith, shirtless, was sweating profusely, with no time to pay him any attention.

As the sun rose higher, Xiao Yi's throat grew hoarse from asking questions, but the answers he received were all the same: Never seen it, don't know it, don't know it.

He stood on the street corner, watching the passersby, and suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.

Tao'er, with Ayan by her side, a young woman and a child, should have been quite conspicuous.

Ping'an County is neither too big nor too small, and finding two people here is like finding a needle in a haystack.

At noon, Xiao Yi returned to the inn.

Qingfeng and Dongkui were already there, seemingly waiting for him; they had probably just returned as well.

The two sat in a corner of the lobby, with three small dishes in front of them, but neither of them touched their chopsticks.

Seeing Xiao Yi enter, Dong Kui jumped up and stared at him expectantly.

"Brother Shi Qi, is there any news about them?"

Xiao Yi shook his head.

Dongkui's eyes reddened again. She bit her lip and sat back down without saying a word.

Qingfeng whispered, "Master, we've asked everyone in the East and West Markets, and gone to teahouses and taverns, but no one has seen Miss Tao'er."

"Let's eat first." Xiao Yi sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Even though we haven't found the person, we can't go without eating. Once you're full, we can continue the search this afternoon."

Dongkui lowered her head, picked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, and put each grain into her mouth.

Qingfeng knew she couldn't eat, so he didn't force her; he just pushed the dishes towards her.

There weren't many people in the lobby. A few customers were drinking tea in a corner, and the abacus beads on the counter were clicking away as the shopkeeper was keeping accounts with his head down.

While eating, Xiao Yi was thinking about where to look for her in the afternoon.

Although Ping'an County is not large, it is not so easy to find two people hiding there.

Have Tao'er and the others already left?

Dongkui suddenly spoke up, her voice muffled, "Brother Shiqi, do you think Tao'er might be deliberately avoiding us?"

Does she not want us to find her?

Could it be that Peach Sister thinks she's a burden?

Or maybe he's still angry with himself for not protecting young master Ayan!

Xiao Yi paused, putting down his chopsticks, but didn't reply.

Qingfeng glanced at Dongkui, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Just then, a voice came from the side: "Gentlemen, are you here to find someone?"

Xiao Yi looked up and saw that the innkeeper had come out from behind the counter at some point and was standing by their table with a concerned smile on his face.

Xiao Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood up and clasped his hands in greeting: "Shopkeeper, we are indeed looking for someone."

My younger sister and her young nephew got separated from us. We chased after them all the way to Ping'an County, but we lost all contact with them.

"May I ask, shopkeeper, have you seen them before?"

As he spoke, he took out a portrait of Tao'er from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

The shopkeeper took the portrait, examined it carefully for a while, and shook his head: "This young lady, I have indeed never seen before. However..."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "If you gentlemen are looking for someone, you might as well go to the Yueji Teahouse and find someone called 'Informant'."

That man knows everyone in Ping'an County; he's connected with all sorts of people. If you need to find someone or something, he'll almost always help. But…”

"Just what?" Dongkui asked eagerly.

"But that person charges quite a bit," the shopkeeper chuckled. "If you gentlemen have the means, you might as well try your luck."

He overheard their conversation and saw that they had been searching for someone since yesterday, so he kindly offered some help within his power.

Opening a shop and doing business is about building good relationships so that the business can last a long time.

Xiao Yi was overjoyed and quickly took out a five-tael silver ingot from his sleeve and stuffed it into the shopkeeper's hand: "Thank you for your guidance, shopkeeper!"

"This small amount of silver is nothing but a token of my appreciation; please accept it."

The shopkeeper waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, it's just a matter of me saying a few words..."

"Don't be so polite, shopkeeper." Xiao Yi pressed his hand down. "Money is no problem, as long as we can find the person."

After he finished speaking, he turned to Qingfeng and Dongkui and said, "Let's go to Yueji Teahouse."

The three of them left the inn without even finishing their meal.

Yueji Teahouse is located in the busiest street in Ping'an County. The three-story building has upturned eaves and corners, and a black plaque with gold characters hangs above the door, making it look quite grand.

Even from a distance, you could hear the storytelling and cheers coming from inside.

Xiao Yi led the two inside, and it was indeed bustling with activity.

There were about twenty tables in the lobby, and almost all of them were occupied.

On the platform directly in front, a storyteller dressed in a long gown was striking his gavel, speaking with great enthusiasm and spittle flying everywhere:

"...It is said that Zhao Zilong, alone, charged into Cao Cao's army formation, entering and exiting seven times as if he were in an empty field!"

But then he flicked his silver spear, its cold light flashing, and Cao Cao's soldiers' heads rolled, crying out for their fathers and mothers...

The audience listened intently, some slapping the table in approval, some cheering loudly, and others munching on sunflower seeds while crossing their legs.

The aroma of tea mingled with the smell of sweat on people's bodies, creating a smoky and chaotic atmosphere.

Xiao Yi glanced around and frowned slightly.