Chapter 92: At Least Three Thousand Liang

Xiao Yuanhang hurried back from the Palace to the Prince's Mansion, bringing news that the Emperor had issued an edict sealing the Nine Gates and strictly forbidding entry and exit.

"Cheng Ru'an, don't worry; not even a bird can leave the capital," Xiao Yuanhang said, gripping his wife's cold hand, his voice steady. "Tuan Tuan is definitely still in the city; we'll find her sooner or later."

Cheng Ru'an leaned on his shoulder, anxiety burning like fire: "I have no idea if Tuan Tuan is cold now, whether she has any food, if she's injured…" As she spoke, tears fell again.

Xiao Yuanhang felt a pang in his heart: "She will be fine, don't worry. As long as they have a purpose, they won't easily harm Tuan Tuan."

Time slipped away bit by bit, each moment a torment.

The people sent out returned in waves to report, yet none brought any good news.

Meanwhile, deep in the chaotic, fish‑and‑dragon‑filled, alley‑webbed slums of South City, inside a dilapidated tiled house.

Three sharp‑featured men in plain clothes gathered around a small table eating; three big men, yet the table held only a stack of baked pancakes and a wine jar.

"Damn it, why are the city gates sealed like iron barrels! It's been a whole day and not a single piece of news!"

A short, hot‑tempered middle‑aged man slammed the table hard, the wine jar shaking violently, "The higher-ups are pressing us like death; if this batch of 'small goods' can't be delivered, we'll all starve and have to leave empty‑handed!"

The Tall thug beside him lowered his voice: "Big brother, it's not that we don't want to deliver. We simply can't get out!"

"Now it's perfect, we're about to run out of food, yet we have so many mouths to feed; just eating each day costs a lot of silver!"

Their commotion was loud enough to wake a sleeping little girl in the corner, who mumbled, "Mother, I'm so cold, help me, mother!"

The Tall thug glanced at her: "Big brother, the girl's hair is burned; we need to find a doctor to look at her. If we don't treat her quickly, she'll probably die here, which would be even more trouble!"

Another lanky man said, "A doctor? Are you crazy? That costs money! Besides, once a doctor comes, everything will be exposed!"

The Tall thug retorted, "We still have to send her to Da Xia; the road is so far. If she dies, that's that. But if she lives and we don't cure her, how can we take a sickling girl on the road?"

The middle‑aged man silently took a sip of wine, his brows tightly knit.

Each of these girls was strikingly beautiful, able to fetch a hefty price; the death of any would be a considerable loss.

In the corner, Tuan Tuan sat quietly, ears perked, listening intently to their conversation.

"Father and my brothers must be looking for me; I could just send them a letter," she thought.

"Da Xia? That sounds so familiar,"

"They're about to run out of food? Ah! They're short on money!"

"Uncle! Are you out of money to spend?" Tuan Tuan's clear childlike voice sounded especially out of place in the stuffy room.

The men froze simultaneously, their gazes sweeping toward her.

Tuan Tuan deliberately puffed up, "My family is rich! I'm the only little girl in my house, everyone's precious eye! I'm a real treasure!"

"Why don't you go ask my mother? She would definitely give you lots of silver!"

"Go ask quickly, then my father will be able to find me."

The middle‑aged man sneered, "Little brat, what are you bragging about!"

"I really don't!" Tuan Tuan twisted her small body. "Don't believe me? Look at my little dress; it's worth quite a bit!"

"My collar and the beads on my hands, unfortunately they're gone, and they were worth a lot of money!"

The Tall thug's eyes lit up; he quickly stood, took out a small bundle, placed it on the ground, opened it and rummaged—inside were jewelry trinkets stripped from several little girls.

Tuan Tuan craned her neck to look into the bundle: "Look, that collar, the bead bracelet, the sachet and the embroidered pouch are all mine!"

The Tall thug looked at the middle‑aged man: "Big brother, the things on this little girl are indeed extraordinary; what she says might not be false."

"Since we can't get out anyway, we can't even dare sell these items; we're just waiting and losing money. Why not make a quick profit? No one will know—only us three know, and we don't have to hand it over."

A greedy glint instantly flashed in the middle‑aged man's eyes.

He stared at Tuan Tuan, his voice deep: "Little girl, then tell me, how would you get money from your family?"

Tuan Tuan felt a surge of joy, but pretended to be even more obedient: "That embroidered pouch was hand‑sewn by my mother, not bought elsewhere! My family recognizes it; you just take it to my house and that's all!"

The Tall thug picked up the embroidered pouch: "This one?"

Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously: "Yes, exactly this!"

The Tall thug opened it and frowned: "Fine embroidered pouch, but it's filled with a jumble of junk!"

Tuan Tuan hummed, "Because I like picking up trash! That's why mother stitched this for me, so I can put the things I find inside."

The men sneered, "What a foolish, money‑loving person!"

The skinny tall one, more cautious, said, "Big brother, we just need to find a way to get these girls out; no need to create extra complications."

The Tall thug immediately objected, "You speak so lightly! The city gates are fully sealed; who knows when we can get out? Are we supposed to starve while keeping these little girls?"

"If you're too cowardly to act, then when we get the money, you mustn't take it!"

The skinny tall one fell silent.

The middle‑aged man hesitated a moment: "Where is your home? What does your family do?"

Tuan Tuan thought for a moment, not wanting them to go to the front gate where too many people would scare them away: "How would I know what my family does? Anyway, my family is very rich! Our house is at the far end of Central Street, and there's a big jujube tree at the entrance!"

The Tall thug couldn't wait: "Big brother, the kid can't explain clearly; how about I scout the road? If it's truly a wealthy household, we could ask for a few hundred liang; they'd probably brush us off."

"No! No!" Tuan Tuan shook her head vigorously, "A few hundred liang is too little! At least three thousand liang is required!"

The three big men laughed heartily, without any doubt.

The middle‑aged man looked at the skinny tall one: "You're the cautious one; you go."

He said, "According to her instructions, find the main gate, show this embroidered pouch to her family, and demand... one thousand liang of silver notes."

Tuan Tuan's little face hardened: "You're so stingy! At least three thousand liang!"

The men laughed at each other, and the middle‑aged man said, "Fine! Three thousand liang! Have them place the silver notes under the tree at the gate, weigh them down with a stone, then shut the gate tight, leaving no one inside."

"Don't stay there; just watch from a distance."

"When you see no one watching, grab the money and return immediately! Be quick!"

The skinny tall one picked up the embroidered pouch, slipped it into his chest, and nodded gravely: "Big brother, don't worry!"

After a while, a servant at the Prince's Mansion back gate saw the strikingly familiar little embroidered pouch and raced to the front hall.

Xiao Ningyuan sprang to his feet: "It's here!"

Xiao Ningxun gritted his teeth; his sister was the one he himself had lost, and no matter what he must personally bring her back home!

Cheng Ru'an, upon hearing that her daughter was not missing but had indeed fallen into the hands of villains, almost fainted.

Xiao Yuanhang grabbed her to steady her, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "An'er, it's good that you've come; only now that you're here can we find Tuan Tuan."