Magistrate Huang’s judgment was not wrong.
If he had simply asked Miss Player directly, he would have learned the truth even earlier than Yang the constable, who was the first to break into Embroiderer Li’s house in the eastern part of the county. There would have been no need to spend the night sleepless, waiting for updates on the case.
But that was impossible.
Lying in her new cradle, drifting into drowsiness, Miss Player recalled what had happened in the previous run.
That year, she had been ten. The trafficker known as “Everchanging Fourth Brother” had once again committed crimes in Cuixi County. His target had been Miss Player’s cousin—a young lady of the Qian family.
The method had been nearly identical—disguise, deception, and careful execution.
First, separate the target from those around her. Then act.
That time, Miss Player herself had been the one lured away. But she was not truly a ten-year-old child; having been bombarded with all kinds of scams in modern society, she sensed something was wrong and returned.
While “Everchanging Fourth Brother” was fighting with the strong servant at her side, he accidentally dropped a triangular yellow talisman.
Miss Player’s reasoning had been almost identical to Magistrate Huang’s—following the vine of the talisman’s owner to find the “melon” that was Everchanging Fourth Brother had been effortless.
The owner of the talisman was easy to identify.
Her surname was Li. She worked in an embroidery workshop and possessed exceptional skill. She was not an accomplice to the trafficker—she had no idea what sort of dealings her traveling merchant husband was involved in. Fearing that his feelings for her would fade after years away from home, she had gone to Wan’an Temple to seek a love charm. Using a locally passed-down method, she embroidered her husband’s likeness and her own wishes onto fabric as thin as cicada wings, then secretly concealed it within the talisman.
The criminal was exceedingly bold. He had great confidence in his skill at disguise and firmly believed in the principle that “the darkest place is beneath the lamp”—that the most dangerous place was often the safest.
To create safe houses, he would marry wives or take concubines wherever he went, under various identities. Embroiderer Li was one of them.
A charm prayed for by one’s wife was naturally something to carry close to the body. How could he have known there was more hidden within the talisman?
Had he known, he would never have worn it.
And after losing it, he certainly would not have dismissed it and remained in Cuixi County.
At this very moment, “Everchanging Fourth Brother” was at home, sharing tender reunion moments with Embroiderer Li. Today, under the pretext of settling accounts, he had gone out and deliberately brought back a string of fine pearls as a gift for her.
Reunited after a long separation, the two were immersed in affection. To Embroiderer Li, even the dishes on the table tasted sweet.
"Bang! Bang! Bang—"
A thunderous knocking sounded outside. Embroiderer Li called out, "Who is it?"
Before she could finish speaking, the door was kicked open. Dozens of yamen runners surged in, their eyes sweeping the room. Like starving tigers descending from the mountain, they lunged at the man seated beside her.
Though the man did not exactly match the embroidered likeness, the resemblance was unmistakable.
His heart lurched, but his face remained righteous. He leapt to his feet and rushed toward the door, shouting, "You break into a private home—are you bandits in official garb?"
Yang the constable snorted coldly. "A thief crying ‘thief.’ Was it not you who snatched a child in broad daylight outside the county yamen today? Your accomplices are already imprisoned—we have come to reunite you with them."
Every punch that landed on the man’s face carried full force. No one would show mercy to a trafficker.
Within moments, Yang the constable twisted his arms behind his back and pinned him to the ground. The nearest yamen runner hurried to place shackles on him. With bloodshot eyes, he stared at the intruders, fear barely concealing his confusion. He pounded the ground and shouted, "How did you find me?"
The yamen runners burst into laughter. No one answered him.
This criminal had evaded countless searches before by relying on his safe houses, deceiving many hearts along the way. In the end, he was undone by Embroiderer Li herself—brought down by a single yellow talisman. It was a fitting end.
Night faded, and pale light crept in through the eastern sky.
By morning, anyone in the county yamen with even the slightest access to information knew that the escaped old woman—the leader among the traffickers—had been captured.
"Such a cunning criminal—thankfully he did not escape. Otherwise, who knows how many families would have suffered the loss of their children."
Lady Huang naturally had firsthand news. Her nails were trimmed smooth and round as she gently stroked Miss Player’s hair, unafraid of scratching the child’s delicate skin. Only by touching the child could the lingering fear in her heart be somewhat eased.
Madam Sun said, "It is a blessing that all the children are safe."
"Indeed, a blessing," Lady Huang replied. "Now that the leader has been imprisoned, the dwarf criminal is no longer keeping silent. Strangely enough, the two of them are competing to confess their crimes…"
Not strange at all, Miss Player thought. A bit of interrogation technique is enough to produce this result. Anyone who has been imprisoned often knows that reporting others earns merit and may reduce punishment.
Of course, ancient trials were not civilized. Cooperation would not turn death by slow slicing into a simple execution. But under severe punishment, the dwarf might endure alone—yet once the leader was also imprisoned, he would suspect the other could not withstand it, making his own suffering pointless.
And the same was true in reverse.
Naturally, both would confess.
Lady Huang continued, "This group has more than a dozen members, each with their own skills. The leader is called ‘Everchanging Fourth Brother’ and possesses uncanny disguise techniques—even his own associates have never seen his true face. The other one captured, the so-called foolish girl, is actually a dwarf over thirty years old, nicknamed ‘Short-Legged Turtle.’
"There is also ‘Tunnel Rat Ma Wu,’ skilled in digging tunnels to assist his companions. Another, ‘Mistress Bewilderment,’ excels in drugs—her concoctions can render people unconscious for days… This group has been roaming within Jialing Prefecture, abducting women and children repeatedly, specifically targeting good-looking children. Many young masters and young ladies from gentry, merchant, and scholarly families have suffered—official families included."
"That ‘Short-Legged Turtle’ often disguises herself as a young girl, sells herself into targeted households as a servant, and then abducts victims from within. That is why she never failed."
Madam Sun gasped repeatedly, and the maids in the room listened in rapt attention.
Miss Player guessed that all the traffickers’ accomplices had already been captured.
Once Everchanging Fourth Brother’s confession was obtained, Magistrate Huang would have immediately dispatched riders to Jialing Prefecture.
If everything went smoothly, by dawn the entire trafficking ring would be wiped out, and the abducted children rescued.
It was nearly time for the midday meal now. With Lady Huang already informed of the details, there was no need for secrecy—such matters could be discussed openly.
To eliminate an entire nest of criminals ten years earlier than in the previous run naturally pleased Miss Player. In that run, by the time Everchanging Fourth Brother was executed, his accomplices had already been replaced. Whether those people had died or had washed their hands of crime and gone on to live peaceful lives was unknown. If it was the latter, Miss Player would have been furious.
The same rule applied—every trafficker deserved death. None deserved a good end.
After listening, Madam Sun took a long while to recover her voice. "That Youyou came to no harm this time—it is truly a blessing."
Her hands trembled, belated fear rising at the cruelty of the criminals.
Seeing this, Lady Huang comforted her. "Though it seemed dangerous, the outcome was good. Our Youyou is clever and perceptive. At such a young age, she has already removed a great harm for the people. In the future, Merit will protect her, and blessings will accompany her—she will surely live in peace."
"I hope so," Madam Sun said.
There was indeed Merit—more than in the previous run. She had gained thirty points at once. It was just unclear whether Merit could offset her negative Morality. If the two did not cancel each other out, then "living in peace" might remain nothing more than a wish.
Lady Huang gazed at the baby who appeared to be spacing out, but was in fact deep in thought. Unspoken matters surfaced in her mind, and her son’s words still echoed in her ears—
"Mother, you would never have imagined—this group of criminals is actually connected to last year’s ‘Inkstone King Case’ that shocked the court."
The Inkstone King Case involved royal relatives—Lady Huang had naturally heard of it.
In October of last year, Chen Moshan of Langjin County had traveled to the Imperial Capital, battered and bruised, and struck the Drum of Petition, accusing Prince Shou of seizing tribute goods and defying imperial authority.
The matter began earlier that year, when Prince Shou, on an official mission, visited Jialing Prefecture. A local official, Qin Lie, took a liking to a newly crafted inkstone by Chen Moshan and intended to present it to the prince.
Chen Moshan refused.
Langjin County’s Songhua inkstones had once been prized for their smooth texture and excellent ink flow. In earlier dynasties, they had been favored by scholars. The entire county had fifteen workshops, with thousands of craftsmen relying on the trade. But in the current dynasty, they had gradually fallen into decline, overshadowed by other famous inkstones. Even so, they still held the privilege of presenting one thousand Songhua inkstones to the imperial court each year.
"Jinmo Hall" was the finest workshop in Langjin County, and Chen Moshan was its best craftsman. By chance, he had obtained a rare stone from the river and spent three full years refining it into a masterpiece—the Inkstone King.
Once completed, he personally placed it among the tribute goods, hoping to restore the reputation of Songhua inkstones and revive the glory of his ancestors.
The tribute had already been sealed when Qin Lie persisted. He demanded that Chen Moshan replace the Inkstone King with another and secretly hand the original over. This was a crime of deceiving the emperor, and Chen Moshan firmly refused.
Qin Lie then kidnapped Chen Moshan’s children to coerce him.
Magistrate Huang had seen that inkstone himself—it truly deserved the phrase: "Once this inkstone appears, all others lose their color."
But Prince Shou was the emperor’s own brother, and with the Empress Dowager still alive, even solid evidence was insufficient. Chen Moshan’s children were never found, and Qin Lie could not be convicted.
In the end, he was merely demoted.
Jinmo Hall was burned to the ground. Chen Moshan died from his injuries. The Inkstone King became a final masterpiece—never to be seen again.
After hearing this, Lady Huang frowned slightly. "Such a major matter—can we truly involve ourselves in it?"
"When the sky falls, the high officials will bear it. Even if someone grows desperate, they would not target a mere County Magistrate."
When Magistrate Huang had first heard that someone dared to snatch a child outside the county yamen, his initial thought had been—what fool would do such a thing? But once the interrogation results came in, he understood—the criminals were not foolish, but bold and skilled.
He had stumbled upon a major case.
Capturing such a group and rescuing dozens of children would greatly enhance his achievements.
But who could have imagined there was another case hidden within it? Even in his dreams, he would not have thought that by reaching out casually, he would grasp the lifeline of the Inkstone King Case.
A case long considered settled would now be reopened with crucial new evidence. The political climate in the Imperial Capital was bound to change.
A major case colliding with another major case—becoming an extraordinary one. Even ten years later, people would still speak of it with fascination. In the official histories, there would surely be a record of him.
How could Magistrate Huang not be exhilarated? Unable to maintain the composure expected of a County Magistrate, he revealed his joy openly. "To solve such an extraordinary case just after taking office—your son will become renowned throughout the court. That Jiang family girl is truly a lucky star, bringing prosperity to us all."
The memory ended. Lady Huang’s gaze toward Miss Player grew even gentler. She said to Madam Sun, "In the future, whenever Youyou goes out, have the household servants call ahead. The yamen runners will assign people to follow and protect her. Her safety is what matters—you must not find it troublesome…"
Her voice grew softer and softer until it could barely be heard. It was not that she had lowered her voice—Miss Player had already learned everything she needed to know. Impatient with remaining a helpless infant, she activated the “Fast Forward Time” function.
Everything before her froze, then melted away, dissolving into drifting patches of color.
The colors gathered into a small river—the river of time.
It flowed onward, murmuring—
Summer willows swayed green, autumn brought fruit to the hills, winter froze the river white.
In the blink of an eye, a year and a half passed by the banks of Cuixi, and the cycle of the four seasons turned three times more.
Miss Player was now three years and eight months old.