Chapter 65: Interrogation in the Ward, the Black Household Crisis Erupts

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Lin Xuan opened his mouth.

The pull on his abdominal wound made him gasp in pain.

"No other relatives—just the two of us."

The social worker stepped forward with a file folder.

She glanced at Lin Xuan, then carefully studied Xiao Sizi.

The young man is in his early twenties, lives alone, unmarried.

The girl is about four years old, wearing an oversized, ill-fitting pajama, her accent carrying a faint archaic tone.

Their facial features show not the slightest resemblance in bloodline.

Most critically, upon emergency admission last night, the girl's identity information field was completely blank.

The social worker pulled out a ballpoint pen. "Mr. Lin, please fill in the family information."

"What's the little girl's Identity Card Number? Does she have medical insurance? We can't find her in our system."

Lin Xuan frowned, deliberately avoiding the social worker's gaze.

"Uh... didn't bring any. We're paying out of pocket."

The social worker said nothing, bent down until her eyes were level with Xiao Sizi's, and pulled a gentle smile.

"Little one, what are your father and mother's names? Where do you live?"

"Can Auntie use her Mobile Phone to call them, so they can come pick you up?"

Xiao Sizi's hand holding the water cup froze.

She looked at Lin Xuan, pale as earth on the bed, then at the social worker before her.

She could not name her parents.

The Emperor of Tang's name, spoken in this world, would only bring more trouble.

The girl chose silence, pressing her lips tightly shut.

The social worker's smile faded slightly.

A flicker of professional alertness passed through her eyes.

No identification, no medical insurance records, refusal to disclose parental information.

The caregiver is a young, unrelated single man.

These labels, pieced together, triggered the most sensitive nerve in modern society's anti-child-trafficking network.

The social worker stood up, closing the file folder.

"Mr. Lin, rest for now. We'll complete the information later."

She gave the nurse a glance.

Both exited the ward.

The door was gently shut.

About twenty minutes later.

A rapid, steady set of footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The ward door was flung open.

Two uniformed officers from the local police station strode in.

The older officer behind them shut the door behind him.

Click. The deadbolt engaged.

His body blocked the doorway, sealing off the only exit.

The younger officer walked straight to the bedside.

His right hand rested on the switch of his body camera, the red light blinking.

"Lin Xuan?"

The younger officer pulled out his police ID and waved it briefly before Lin Xuan's eyes.

"We're from Changxing Lu Paichusuo. We received a public report and need to verify some details."

"The hospital social worker reported that the girl beside you has an unclear background."

"Show us your Identity Card Number and the girl's birth certificate or household registration."

Lin Xuan's heart sank.

The most critical Black Household crisis erupted precisely when he was at his weakest.

"Officer..." Lin Xuan tried to lift his upper body.

His abdominal muscles pulled.

The stitched wound tore with searing pain.

He groaned and collapsed heavily back onto the pillow.

Cold sweat instantly coated his forehead.

"She's... a distant relative's child."

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, forcing the words through them.

Due to the pain, his voice sounded weak, lacking conviction.

"Which relative? What's their name? What's their contact number?" The officer pressed forward, firing questions in rapid succession. "Why can't we find any trace of her in the system?"

Lin Xuan fell silent.

The anesthetic had just worn off; the pain disrupted his thoughts.

He could not fabricate a flawless identity chain.

……

Tang Dynasty.

Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin stood behind the imperial desk, his eyes fixed on the two future police officers interrogating Lin Xuan on the Sky Screen.

She was his own legitimate eldest princess.

The most noble bloodline of the Tang Dynasty.

Yet right now, in that cold hospital room, she was treated as an unknown vagrant from a Black Household, cornered and questioned by future officials.

"Unthinkable!"

Li Shimin's rage surged; he slammed his fists hard onto the imperial desk.

"How could my daughter become a person of unknown origin!"

Empress Zhangsun stood beside him, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Erlang, Sizi is all alone."

"What if those officers take her away? What shall we do!"

Below the great hall, the ministers stood in solemn silence.

Wei Zheng stepped forward, holding his ceremonial tablet.

He did not echo the emperor's anger; instead, his gaze burned as he stared at the Sky Screen.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Observe carefully the methods of this future government."

Wei Zheng raised his tablet, pointing upward.

"Medical staff, merely upon seeing a child without household registration or parental accompaniment, immediately grew suspicious."

"They said nothing, secretly reporting to the authorities."

"Police arrived within moments, sealing the doors and isolating the inquiry."

"The hospital, the public, and the government intertwined to form a tight, impenetrable net against child abduction!"

Wei Zheng spoke bluntly: "In the Tang Dynasty, when child traffickers snatched infants from common families, how often did neighborhood patrols ever show such vigilance?"

"How often did inns or taverns ever question a child's origins?"

Li Shimin's hand, raised to strike the desk, froze mid-air.

Wei Zheng's analysis forcibly quelled his rage.

He realized the two police officers' suspicion and caution were not directed at Sizi—but meant to protect her.

They suspected Lin Xuan was a trafficker, fulfilling their duty to safeguard children.

In Chang'an's streets, vagrants and beggar children wandered, and the government often turned a blind eye, letting them perish on their own.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and withdrew his gaze.

"Issue an edict."

"From today, the Ministry of Revenue shall establish 'Caring for Orphans Bureaus' in every circuit, prefecture, and county nationwide."

"All homeless or abandoned children shall be taken in and raised at government expense."

"Order all Inspectors and County Magistrates to rigorously inspect household registrations of children within their jurisdictions."

"Every child without registration shall be immediately enrolled and recorded."

"Inns and hospitals encountering unattended children must report them to the authorities for verification."

"Anyone who neglects or conceals such cases shall be dismissed from office!"

The hospital door opened.

Two police officers in civilian clothes entered the room.

The officer in front, surnamed Chen, had a square face and a sturdy build.

He pulled out a folding chair and sat down before Lin Xuan's bed, then pressed a button to activate the body camera on his shoulder.

A red indicator light began to flash.

Lin Xuan leaned back against the raised pillow, tape adhered to the back of his hand, the IV fluid dripping slowly through the tube.

He opened his mouth to speak.

The young officer beside him raised a hand to stop him: "Mr. Lin, we need to speak privately with the child. Please cooperate."

Lin Xuan could only fall silent.

Xiao Sizi sat on a round stool beside the bed.

Her legs dangled, toes barely touching the floor.

Her hands rested neatly folded on her knees, her back straight.

Officer Chen did not look at Lin Xuan; his gaze fixed on Xiao Sizi: "Little one, don't be afraid. Uncle has a few questions for you."

He opened a hardcover notebook and uncapped his pen, beginning his cross-examination: "What's your name? How old are you?"

"My name is Li Mingda. My family calls me Sizi."

"I'll be five years old after the New Year."

Officer Chen wrote it down: "Your name is unusual. Do you remember your father's or mother's names? Or your home address?"

This was the first step in a chain of trap questions.

Fortunately, during the previous twenty minutes, Lin Xuan had already prepared his response.