novelraw Chapter 469 - 471 Disappearance
Chapter 469 - 471 Disappearance
Xia Tingfeng had disappeared!Alive, he was nowhere to be found; dead, his body had not been seen!
Everyone searched frantically along the riverbank for two days and one night, but in the end, they still had not found him.
Only at one spot on the riverbank did they find a Jade Pendant he always carried.
The moment everyone saw that Jade Pendant, their hearts went cold.
The Jade Pendant had clearly been washed ashore by the river, but where was the man?
The river was so vast, its current so swift and deep; could a man who could not swim possibly survive after falling in?
Everyone had an answer in their hearts.
But no one was willing to admit that Commander Xia had vanished just like that.
Such a strikingly handsome man with unparalleled martial skills—how could he just vanish?!
Without seeing a body, they refused to give up hope!
But having so many people idling around was not a solution.
Rat, holding back his grief, pondered for a while before deciding.
"Tiger, you’re an important official. First, arrange for men to escort the prisoners to the capital. At least let the higher-ups know about this!"
"The rest of you, continue the search downstream along the river!"
"No objections, right?"
The decision was very rational.
An Imperial Officer dying for his country... even if the man himself could not be found, his body had to be recovered—that was the rule.
Of course, the Imperial Forest Army had no objections.
So, it did not take long for arrangements to be made to start the journey back to the capital with the prisoners in a prison cart. The prison cart could not go fast, stopping frequently along the way.
The men of the Imperial Forest Army were seething inside.
It was because of these bandits that their Commander had met with misfortune.
Having finally caught them, they were not about to let them off easily. So, whenever an opportunity arose, they would beat the prisoners for all sorts of bizarre reasons.
Sometimes fists and feet flew; other times, sticks and staves were used. Along the way, several prisoners nearly breathed their last.
Even so, the soldiers were restraining themselves to the utmost.
Otherwise, they probably would have beaten them so badly that even their own mothers would not recognize them.
When they eventually arrived in the capital and handed the criminals over to the Ministry of Justice, the Minister of Justice’s jaw nearly dropped.
Beaten like this and still not dead?
It seems someone’s methods of punishment are even more varied and clever than my own. Unbelievable!
About two hundred men remained.
They broke camp and rode south along the riverbank.
In their hearts, they all held a conviction: no matter what, they had to find Commander Xia’s body and bring it back.
SPIT! SPIT! SPIT!
He’s not dead! Commander Xia is not dead!
Anyway, they refused to believe it!
「The night the bandits were taken into custody.」
An urgent missive entered the palace and was delivered to the Imperial Study Room at the last moment, just before the Emperor retired for the night.
Zhao Junyao felt rather annoyed looking at the urgent letter.
This Xia Tingfeng really deserves a beating! Sending a letter so late!
Doesn’t he know enough to come to the palace and report in person? Is he that lazy?!
As Zhao Junyao grumbled to himself, he opened the folded memorial and began to read the letter.
Then... the look in Zhao Junyao’s eyes and his expression became increasingly frightening!
"Missing? What does that mean?!" Zhao Junyao was furious, slapping the letter onto the desk.
His angry eyes conveyed disbelief, along with a trace of... panic and regret! His emotions instantly became complex and guilt-ridden, his heart in turmoil as if pierced by knives.
It was not easy to cultivate a confidant. If he were to be lost just like that, it would truly be...!
"Attendants!"
Zhao Junyao’s voice was frighteningly grim.
A chill ran down Li Shengan’s spine.
"Your Majesty..." His voice trembled.
"Issue an order for Xiao Zhengling and Yang He to come see Us immediately. Keep this confidential for now; there is no need to alert too many people!"
"Yes!"
Li Shengan received the order and scurried out.
That evening, Commander Xiao Zhengling of the Three Great Camps and Minister of War High Official Yang He secretly entered the palace to meet with the Emperor in the Imperial Study Room. They remained until late into the night, only leaving the palace in the latter half of the night with weary expressions.
This matter was known only to those in Zhaochen Palace and the Imperial Forest Army guarding the palace gates; no one else was aware.
「The next morning.」
At the early court session, Zhao Junyao discussed state affairs with the ministers as usual.
On the surface, during the court session, there was no sign of anything amiss.
In reality, troops from the Three Great Camps and those dispatched by the Ministry of War had already departed the city.
Zhao Junyao absolutely did not believe that Xia Tingfeng could have drowned.
Missing meant that anything was possible.
He, like everyone else, would not believe the so-called facts without seeing a body.
However, fate often refuses to comply with human desires.
The men from the military camps, together with the Imperial Forest Army who had remained behind, spent half a month scouring the downstream riverbanks over and over.
They had practically dug three feet into the ground, yet they still found no trace of Xia Tingfeng.
Not even a body!
Thousands of men had spent half a month searching, all for naught.
General Xiao and Minister Yang then went to seek an audience with the Emperor.
"Emperor, continuing like this is not a solution..."
Zhao Junyao stared at the memorials, silent for a long while, his complexion terrifyingly grim.
He did not believe it; he did not believe it one bit.
He had already prepared the rewards, just waiting for Xia Tingfeng to return to be promoted and receive them.
How could he die?
How could Xia Tingfeng die? How could he possibly be dead?!
Zhao Junyao’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with anger, denial, and heart-wrenching pain.
Yes, a sharp pain pierced his heart!
The trusted aide he had so carefully nurtured had vanished just like that.
Alive, no sign of him; dead, no body found!
How could he not feel a profound sense of loss!
After a long moment, Zhao Junyao lowered his head slightly and waved his hand gently.
"Leave."
"You may step down now."
General Xiao and Yang He hurriedly kowtowed. They hesitated but still ventured to offer words of comfort.
"Emperor, please... restrain your grief."
Zhao Junyao stood up and walked slowly to the window. He did not look at them again, merely waving his hand.
"Leave. Keep this matter quiet for now."
General Xiao and Yang He exchanged glances, bowed respectfully, and quietly exited.
「The Imperial Forest Army and the men from the Three Great Camps had all returned.」
From the bandit lairs, they had seized a tremendous cache of war spoils: gold, silver, jewels, and grain.
This grain amounted to one hundred thousand bushels, and it took over a thousand soldiers three days to transport it all.
When they returned to the capital, Zhao Junyao personally went to the city ramparts to welcome them.
He was dressed in a bright yellow Dragon Robe, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was deep and distant as he watched the neat formations of warhorses and iron-clad cavalry slowly approach the ramparts, their hoofbeats crisp and resounding.
The Generals, clad in silver helmets and bronze armor, rode on tall and mighty steeds, each one imposing and heroic.
At the head were the soldiers, followed by cart after cart laden with grain.
These were the spoils of war!
All the soldiers dismounted and knelt in homage.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long, long live!"
A smile finally touched Zhao Junyao’s icy expression, and his lips curled.
"All Generals, rise!"
"Thank you, Emperor!"
Zhao Junyao did not say much, merely watching quietly for a moment before giving a grand sweep of his arm.
"Proceed!"
Upon receiving the command, the soldiers rose, mounted their horses, and proceeded into the city.
The city’s roads were already lined with civilians, their spirits high as they welcomed the troops.
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
The bandit menace that had plagued the people and caused widespread panic for so long was finally resolved.
As the news spread, the people felt immense gratitude towards the Emperor and genuine pride as citizens of Great Chu.