Heaven's Loveliest Villain

5. In which ignorance and prejudice lead to a mistake

As everything played out, four different search parties were looking for two baby boys the next morning.

The only search party who knew exactly where to look was the one sent by Goddess Guanyin. Hence her men arrived at the doorstep of the forest cottage one hour after sunrise, scaring Auntie Mei half to dead with their impressing features and lavish clothing.

The men took a close look at the two boys, inspected them carefully and had a long discussion among them before turning to Auntie Mei.

"One of these babies belongs to the Heir Apparent. Which one is it?"

Auntie Mei had no idea what the man was talking about so she only shook her head.

In the meantime, the blue-eyed baby had returned to his old ways of screaming like crazy and she tried to comfort him.
The men had a new discussion and seemed to have decided something. The man who was the obvious leader took the quiet baby boy in his arms, caressed his pale cheek and said:

"This is the child we are looking for."

He signalled to one of his men who tossed three silvers to Auntie Mei. "For your troubles. And for your silence. We were never here. Understood?"

His gaze pierced through Auntie Mei and she knew this man had the power to hurt her so she nodded and lowered her head.
The men stepped out from her cottage and disappeared as swiftly as they came.

Auntie Mei still held the screaming baby in her arms and shivered a little in the cold morning air. Or maybe it was because of the good-looking and powerful men that just left?

***

The search party from the demons led by Han Jung had the second most knowledge since they knew about the accident.
They arrived early that morning at the site of the crash where they searched thoroughly among the wrecked carriages.

They found the Demon King and his Queen close to each other and sadly they were both dead from too many broken bones in their bodies and injuries to their heads as well. After seeing the state his king and queen were found in, Han Jung had little hope of finding the child alive.

After covering the Royal bodies and putting them respectfully on a wagon, Han Jung and his men continued to search for the baby boy but found no trace of him. Instead, they found three more dead bodies, both carriage drivers and an older robust woman. He decided to leave those bodies in the forest. They had nothing to do with the Demon Nation and were not his concern.

Han Jung started to think that wild animals must have found the little prince's body and taken him away. He decided that it was more important to bring the deceased Royal couple home and report back to the Second Prince. Correction, report to the new King.

He left a few able men to continue with the search and then he began the long and sad trip back home with the bodies of his king and queen.

***

Wei Min was working on a lead that said a dark-hooded man had acted mysteriously at the coach station during the night. After questioning the witness she was a bit perplexed by the contradictory information about the man. The man was said to move quickly and smoothly through the dark, on the other hand, his hair was said to be grey. Was the man young and vigorous or old and grey?

As she pondered this another witness came forward. It was a young girl, about ten years old, who worked in the stables. She had been on her way from the privy when she saw the dark-hooded man too. The girl had witnessed him giving an older chubby woman a bundle of blankets and after that, the woman had entered the midnight carriage to Xizang.

It didn't take much thinking to assume the possibility of that bundle being the lost baby boy. The timing matched and the characters fit the story. The question was: Who was that mysterious man? And where was the coach with that woman and the supposed baby now?

A few minutes later she got the answer to the second question. The woman who entered the carriage was found dead in the Wunshung forest after a terrible crash down the mountain. There was no sign of any other persons besides two carriage drivers also found dead. The baby had disappeared.

Wei Min ordered an extended search of the forest and mountainside, this time with the special task of finding a baby. Then she went back to the Bureau to report to Chief Yan. When the Chief heard the mysterious man's description he raised an eyebrow so distinctively that Wei Min had to ask why.

"The man your witness described fits only one person in the entire Zhou Empire. It sounds like Fang Shui, a notorious playboy but also a very skilled martial artist, although not many people are aware of that second part."

"Who is he and why have I never heard about him?"

Wei Min felt a bit dissatisfied that there was someone that prominent in the capital who was not to her knowledge.

"It's not strange at all since he just recently arrived in the capital. I didn't know of it myself until I got the report from the Commander of the Imperial Guard last night. Fang Shui is the youngest son of General Fang and he has been living abroad for the last five years. The General is one of Heir Apparent's oldest friends. There is no way his son would do something like that to his father's best friend. He has known that man his whole life."

It did seem a bit too convenient that Fang Shui had arrived at the capital and a baby was abducted by someone with his appearance. No one was that stupid. Could it be some kind of set-up? General Fang did have many enemies that could be using his son for their own purposes. The Chief must have had the very same thought.

"Let's investigate thoroughly and don't assume anything. Turn every stone and let the evidence lead us to the truth. Remember, these are very powerful and important people we are dealing with. There is no use throwing accusations around without proof."
"I understand Chief. Don't worry, I will do my very best."