Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 453 - 452: Gathering Women

The pain from the scraped skin on the hand was actually the least of Zhu Yu’s concerns. However, looking back at the child who was rushing to pick up the fallen dress from the ground, urgently embracing it before even dusting it off, with a face ashen white, Zhu Yu felt an indescribable sadness within.

The farmer saw the dress was already covered in dust and reached out his hand to help the child pat it off. Yet the child, like a startled bird, suddenly shook and avoided the father’s hand. He turned around and ran into the house, as if afraid that his precious possession might again be snatched away.

Watching the child’s retreating figure, the farmer sighed and, feeling a bit embarrassed, said to Yan Daoxin, "It’s really unfortunate, encountering such an incident... the child is frightened right now. I’ll bring him over again later for you to continue checking his pulse."

Yan Daoxin, however, waved his hand: "That won’t be necessary. I’ve already identified the problem with your child, it’s just that... we dare not stay here any longer.

A group of people rushed in out of nowhere, like bandits kidnapping people.

This time they’re looking for a woman. Who knows if later another group will come to capture young men, making it unsafe for my student here!"

As he spoke, he pointed towards Zhu Yu.

The farmer was just about to be happy when he heard that Yan Daoxin had already understood his child’s issue, but upon hearing the rest of the words, he froze slightly. Turning his head to look at Zhu Yu, who was washing her hand injury at the side, he felt somewhat guilty but also feared that Yan Daoxin and his group were genuinely worried about safety and would leave immediately. He quickly said, "You need not worry. Those people are only looking for women; they would never suddenly decide to capture young men."

"Who exactly are those people? Could they really be bandits capturing girls to become their wives?" Zhu Yu felt much better after washing her wound under the cold well water and took the chance to ask as the topic unfolded.

"If that were the case, it might be better." The farmer glanced outside the yard, seeing no one around, and those people didn’t seem to be returning. He shook his head and said in a low voice, "Even if caught and taken to the bandits’ lair, it doesn’t necessarily mean a death sentence..."

Hearing this, Yan Daoxin immediately sat back down with interest, not in a hurry to leave: "What does that mean? Could there be something more terrifying than being kidnapped by bandits?"

"Along the way here, we really haven’t seen any women." Lu Qing chimed in at this point, "I thought it might be a custom in your Fan Country that women, married or not, aren’t allowed to show themselves in public, which is why it’s like this."

"I don’t know about those high-ranking families, but for poor families like us, how could that be possible?" The farmer chuckled bitterly and waved his hand. Seeing that they seemed intrigued by the topic and were not in a hurry to leave, he felt more at ease and quickly said, "I can’t speak for other places, but at least around here, in the neighboring areas, ordinary families can’t afford for the women to stay idle.

Even if they do nothing else, at least they have to wash, sew, and take care of the chickens and ducks in the yard, managing the family’s food and drink.

But now, there’s no way. It’s not just the young maidens, even young wives dare not show their faces for fear of being captured and taken to the capital by those people.

"Taken to the capital by those people?" Lu Qing slightly frowned, looking even more puzzled, "So what’s the origin of these people?"

"They work under the Prince of our Fan Country." The farmer cautiously whispered, his voice so low it was nearly inaudible without getting close, "They roam around helping the Prince look for beauties to send to the Prince Mansion..."

Yan Daoxin burst out laughing, "Beauties?! In such a place?! Does your Prince have such unique tastes? Does he prefer unpolished gems hidden in the wild to the well-bred ladies?"

The farmer seemed unable to laugh, only sighed and shook his head, "You see, our situation here is different.

In other places, forget the Prince, being chosen by the officials and nobles in the capital to become a concubine is a life of wealth and honor.

But it’s not so here.

Those people have been helping the Prince seek beauties not just for a day or two, and initially, they did choose according to beauty and youth, with those selected happily sending their daughters away...

But... clearly, quite a number of beauties have been taken, yet not long after, they are out searching for more beauties again.

Our area isn’t far from the capital, and just outside the village is a main road leading to the capital.

So back then, we watched as batches of beauties were taken towards the capital, and everyone would secretly gossip over meals about how big the Prince Mansion must be to take in dozens of beauties in just less than half a year that we could see!

Let alone our small Fan Country, even the Imperial Palace of Emperor Jin, could it fit so many people!"

Zhu Yu, who had followed Lu Qing into the Imperial Palace before, had heard him mention palace matters often.

In this regard, Emperor Jin indeed couldn’t compare with King Fan.

According to Lu Qing, Emperor Jin has never been one to indulge in romantic escapades, and perhaps the only person he truly loved in this life was his late wife, the Empress.

Most of the other concubines in the palace were there due to tradition or to balance and check the power of influential ministers and families.

As for the highly favored Princess Consort Duan... perhaps age makes one feel lonely, needing someone who cares deeply by their side, or for other reasons, it’s not for outsiders to know.

However, Emperor Jin has not taken any new concubines for many years because of his age. With his sons all grown, established, and married, he no longer has the burden of expanding the royal lineage.

It’s said that King Fan is no younger than Emperor Jin.

Logically, at such an advanced age, even if one desires, it’s uncertain how much strength there is.

Zhu Yu, having lived two lifetimes, was certainly not some three or five-year-old child and would never think that the beauties gathered from all over and sent into the Fanwang Mansion were purely to satisfy certain desires.

Moreover, it wasn’t just three or five, but dozens...