"Noisy, what kind of behavior is this!"
The county magistrate, attracted by the commotion, was displeased to see so many yamen runners gathered.
"My lord, the Commander of the Imperial Guard has arrived," the head yamen runner whispered into the magistrate's ear, preventing him from saying anything he shouldn't.
The magistrate's body stiffened.
"Commander, you have traveled a great distance. I regret not welcoming you sooner. I hope you will forgive me!"
The magistrate immediately spotted Su Fan, a man with an unremarkable face, in the crowd, and the token in Su Fan's hand.
In this world, the Imperial Guard was equivalent to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, directly taking orders from the emperor and possessing the power of life and death, with the right to execute first and then investigate.
Su Fan's arrival made the magistrate extremely uneasy, fearing that Su Fan was here for him. If that were the case, he would be finished.
The yamen runner who had blocked Su Fan was so terrified that he wet his pants. How could he have imagined that Su Fan was actually from the Imperial Guard!
"I have some questions for you!"
Su Fan had no time to dwell on the matter and spoke directly to the magistrate.
"Commander, please come this way. I will tell you everything I know," the magistrate said, somewhat nervously, leading Su Fan to his study.
"I told you long ago to learn more about official systems. If you don't understand these things within the system, you'll get into trouble sooner or later, and you won't even know how you died!"
The head yamen runner said coldly to that yamen runner.
This was his nephew. Otherwise, how could this fellow have the strength to be a yamen runner? He had gotten in through connections, but that was the end of it. He had offended the Commander of the Imperial Guard, and he needed to distance himself from the matter as quickly as possible to avoid being implicated.
In the study.
"Do you know if there are any families with good financial standing and daughters in your North District?" Su Fan asked the magistrate.
Upon hearing Su Fan's question, the magistrate felt a great burden lifted from his heart. It seemed Su Fan wasn't here for him.
However, this question put him in a difficult position.
"Tianlong City has millions of households, and the North District alone has over a million people. There are thousands of households with good financial standing. How can I answer you?" the magistrate said with some difficulty.
"Then, in your opinion, how many families are the wealthiest, excluding those related to the royal family and high-ranking officials?" Su Fan asked again.
Those related to the royal family would definitely know Xiao Yan, and those in officialdom, as long as they held a rank of fifth grade or higher, would have some understanding of the royal family and would certainly know Xiao Yan. Therefore, these people had to be excluded. The remaining ones were the targets Su Fan was looking for.
The magistrate pondered for a moment. After such a selection, there weren't many left.
"Commander, please wait a moment."
The magistrate asked Su Fan to wait, then turned and left the study. Shortly thereafter, he returned with a scroll of case files.
"This is the population data for the North District. There are over 36,000 households above the wealthy level, over 4,000 households with abundant assets, and less than a hundred large households. Excluding the conditions you just mentioned, there are eighteen households remaining," the magistrate said slowly to Su Fan.
"Organize the information of these eighteen households and give it to me," Su Fan instructed the magistrate.
The magistrate, without any hesitation, personally organized the information for Su Fan. Soon, the information of the eighteen households was handed over to Su Fan.
These eighteen wealthy families had one thing in common: each had a daughter who was sixteen years old.
Su Fan looked at the addresses of these eighteen households. There were only eighteen locations, which made them much easier to find.
Su Fan left directly to visit these prominent families one by one.
"Commander Su, won't you stay for a meal before you go?" the magistrate asked Su Fan from behind.
In his heart, he was overjoyed. Although there was nothing particularly happy about it, as long as Su Fan wasn't here to investigate him, it was good news.
Su Fan first went to the closest family to the yamen. To avoid trouble, Su Fan found a place to change into his Imperial Guard uniform. Wearing the official uniform made things easier.
Su Fan arrived at the gate of this family's residence. It was indeed a prominent family; the courtyard was no less grand than that of a high-ranking official like the Grand Commandant.
Su Fan knocked on the family's large door. Soon, someone heard the commotion and opened the door. The gate was opened a crack, and a servant peered out at Su Fan.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Imperial Guard, on official business. Have your master come out to see me."
Facing these ordinary people, Su Fan saw no need to reveal his identity as Commander. The status of an Imperial Guard was enough to make them fearful.
"Sir, please wait! I will go and inform him immediately!" The other party also saw the uniform Su Fan was wearing and was immediately frightened, rushing to inform their master.
Soon, the servant returned and respectfully invited Su Fan inside.
"Sir, you honor us with your visit. I regret not welcoming you sooner," an old man with somewhat graying hair said respectfully as he approached.
"Xu Damao, is that right?" Su Fan asked the man.
"It is I, sir. May I ask what offense I have committed?" Xu Damao asked Su Fan, confused.
"You have a daughter?" Su Fan confirmed again. He didn't need to answer the man's question; he just needed to ask his own.
"Yes, my youngest daughter just turned eighteen and has not yet been married. She shouldn't have caused any trouble. Sir, have you made a mistake?" Xu Damao was indeed uneasy, so he kept trying to find out what offense he had committed.
"Do you recognize this person?" Su Fan presented a portrait and inquired of Xu Damao.
Xu Damao examined the portrait carefully for a long time but had no impression of the person in it.
"I don't recognize him," Xu Damao replied, shaking his head.
"Then please have your daughter come out and see if she recognizes this person," Su Fan continued.
Xu Damao sighed.
"Go and ask the young lady to come out," Xu Damao said to a servant.
Xu Damao had someone pour Su Fan a cup of tea. Su Fan was a bit thirsty, so he was about to pick it up and drink.
Rumble! Rumble!
Su Fan suddenly felt the ground shake, and the tea in the cup rippled. It was as if some giant creature was approaching.
"Wh-what's happening?" Su Fan asked Xu Damao, who remained calm, looking at him.
"My youngest daughter is here," Xu Damao said to Su Fan with a shy smile.
"Qing'er, come and greet the sir quickly," Xu Damao said, gesturing behind Su Fan.
Su Fan turned his head stiffly and saw a woman as colossal as a mountain of flesh approaching him. Su Fan was astonished. Did people grow sideways in this world?
"This humble woman, Xu Qing'er, greets you, sir. I pay my respects," Xu Qing'er, whose physique was like a mountain of flesh, said to Su Fan in a sweet voice.
Su Fan was astonished again. Could this voice and body belong to the same person? Was there a mistake during reincarnation? Su Fan mused that if Xu Qing'er were born in reality, she would surely live a very happy life. If she put on a costume and streamed live, she would definitely make a fortune.
"Sir, please ask whatever questions you have," Xu Damao said to Su Fan.
Su Fan looked speechlessly at Xu Qing'er's physique. He didn't think Xiao Yan's aesthetic tastes were that abstract.
"It's nothing. I'll take my leave!"