Chapter 83

During major festivals like this, human traffickers often seize the opportunity to kidnap children and sell them off. Those who look bright and capable are usually sold as maids or servants, while those who cannot be sold off face a grimmer fate—often being crippled to beg for a living. Consequently, after busy periods like the Lantern Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival, the desk at the Kaifeng Prefecture office is always piled high with missing persons reports. Some children are recovered, while others are lost forever. "My Lord, Magistrate Fang, there have been eight reports filed just this evening," a patrol chief reported, kneeling before Huo Yanxing, cold sweat dripping down his face. He had only come out to fulfill his duties and deal with the persistent families of the poor, but he had never expected to run into the Marquis of Zhenbei and Magistrate Fang. He dreaded having to explain this to the Magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture; he knew that by tomorrow, this matter would likely be brought before the imperial court. "And my A-Bao! He’s gone too!" Yu-Niang, who had followed Que'er to Dufeng Pavilion, felt these noblemen would surely help her find her child. She began to kowtow incessantly, heedless of anything else.