When the Hong Mansion reported to the authorities, the County Magistrate took immediate action and sent constables to investigate. Upon seeing the dog hole and learning about the situation in the house, the constables quickly understood what was going on.
They also found out from the servants of the Hong Mansion that before going to war, Commander Hong had arranged a marriage for Miss Yue.
Good heavens, Miss Yue, unhappy with Commander Hong's decision to marry her to a merchant, had actually taken the valuables and run away!
Within half a day, this news spread all over Hami, and amidst the tension, the residents who feared war reaching their doorstep found themselves with a bit of gossip to share.
Some sinister-minded individuals sneered, thinking the marriage Hong Sheng arranged for Yue Baiyou must be awful, believing they had caught a hold on him, they quickly sent people to investigate.
