Chapter 178:
Disappeared?
They took over a hundred people and vanished without a trace!
Lu Ziyan abruptly turned around, saying coldly: “Has any news come from the Capital City?”
Ming Jian was slightly stunned, slowly shaking his head, “Only His Majesty…”
Halfway through his words, Lu Ziyan raised his arm to interrupt him, his expression frighteningly grim. “I have a premonition that something might have happened in the Capital City.”
If His Majesty is no longer on the list, then it’s self-evident who this incident refers to.
Ming Jian frowned and said, “But Ming Feng has not sent any news.”
Ming Feng stayed in the Capital City, and Yun Jin did not come this time either. When Lu Ziyan left, he gave Ming Feng a death order that, except for the top-priority urgent matters related to Miss Xie, Yun Jin must not move.
If Miss Xie got into trouble, Ming Feng would impossible not report it.
At Yun Jin’s speed, traveling day and night without stopping, it would take less than three days to fly to the Northern Frontier.
Does the Crown Prince of Jin Dynasty really have such great courage, leading just over a hundred men to venture deep into their Great Khan’s Capital City territory alone, just to capture one woman?
But if not, in a battle between two armies, where on earth did the commander go?
Capital City…… Has something really happened?
Lu Ziyan raised his head to look toward the horizon, only feeling as if his chest cavity was being tightly gripped by a large hand. If not for the last shred of reason holding him back, he would have rushed to the Capital City regardless.
Ming Jian did not dare to speak for a moment.
At that moment, a black shadow suddenly appeared at the edge of the sky where yellow sand was swirling, descending at extreme speed and landing on the city wall, where it let out two low cries toward Lu Ziyan.
It was Yun Jin, who had flown for several days and nights. He seemed utterly exhausted, his once glossy feathers now dull and gray, and even his usual sharp cry sounded listless.
With his beloved pet exhausted like this, Lu Ziyan’s feet were as if rooted to the ground, his face deathly pale as he stared blankly at the bamboo tube on Yun Jin’s neck, making no move.
Fearing that upon opening it, it would be an unbearable agony.
Ming Jian had never seen his master in such a weak state. His expression changed abruptly, yet he still advanced steadily step by step. He touched Yun Jin’s head, removed the bamboo tube, tore open the sealing layer, then bowed and handed it to Lu Ziyan.
…………
At the end of October, in deep autumn, on the Northern Frontier Battlefield that had been in a stalemate for over a month, Commander Lu Ziyan ordered a general offensive against Great Jin.
In less than three days of the general offensive, the Great Khan’s cavalry broke through the gates of the Jin Dynasty city for the first time in nearly a hundred years.
Although they are a nomadic people, at the border in the Jin Dynasty they have also built towering city walls.
In the eleventh lunar month, Commander Lu Ziyan, who should have been facing the enemy on the battlefield according to the timeline, appeared in Yuezhou, nearly a thousand li away from the Northern Frontier.
“Have you confirmed the trace?” He dismounted, tossed the horsewhip to the deputy general who reached out his hand, his face as cold as frost, asking as he walked.
“Yes!” the Deputy General said: “Jin Wuji is leading over a hundred people. Although they are disguised as traveling merchants, they have been heading north all along. Upon investigation, their target is very obvious. It is confirmed they will take the waterway passing through here today, and Ming Feng has already arrived.”
Jin Wuji and his group needed to conceal their whereabouts and sneak in secretly, so they had no choice but to slow down. But Ming Feng was different. With the jade token in hand, he traveled day and night, arriving even a day earlier than them.
Lu Ziyan said, “Where is he? Call him over.”
Moments later, Ming Feng pushed open the door and entered. As soon as he stepped inside, he dropped to one knee, “This subordinate deserves death! I have failed the Prince’s heavy trust. Please, Your Highness, punish me.”
His injuries had not yet healed, and after traveling continuously for several days and nights, his entire face was deathly pale, utterly haggard.
Lu Ziyan had a face as Shen as water, quietly looked at him for a long time, suddenly fiercely lifted his foot and kicked him to the ground, said in a deep voice: “You indeed deserve to die! A good person under your protection, yet you let the Jin Raiders kidnap her!”
This kick was not light; Ming Feng spat out blood from his mouth, yet he didn’t make a sound and knelt down again.
Lu Ziyan regained some composure, squatted down and stared fixedly at him, saying, “What exactly happened! With your abilities, how could the hundred or so men that Jin Wuji brought be able to kidnap someone in the Capital City, right under your eyelid!”
“They number more than a hundred or so. With Jin Wuji’s inside informant in the Capital City, those who surrounded the Hot Spring Villa overnight total over two thousand.” Only then did Ming Feng realize that those foreigners were actually the Crown Prince of Jin Dynasty leading his own personal soldiers personally. He steadied his mind and said, “Those Khan people are not roving bandits. Judging by their moves and steps, they are all elite soldiers trained rigorously.”
Inside informant!
More than two thousand elite soldiers!
In the bamboo tube sent by Yun Jin, it only wrote that Miss Xie was kidnapped by people from foreign tribes, and did not write about the causes and consequences beforehand.
The suspected matter was confirmed. Lu Ziyan clenched his teeth. “Tell me everything she has encountered recently, exactly as it happened.”
Ming Feng dared not be neglectful and recounted in full detail Xie Wanning’s daily routine these days.
Ever since Lu Ziyan left the Capital City that day, Ming Feng had transformed into Xie Wanning’s hidden guard. Although there were several experts guarding Princess Duanyang by Duke Pei’s Mansion, they still could not detect his presence. It could be said that over these past few months, every move Xie Wanning made around her had been under his watchful eye.
He said, “Aside from not accompanying Miss Xie when she entered the palace half a month ago, these are all the matters Miss Xie has encountered during this period of time.”
Lu Ziyan listened quietly with full attention. His lips pulled into an icy arc. “Miss Pei of the Eldest Branch invited me to the Marriage Temple?”
“Right!” Ming Feng said: “However, going to the Hot Spring Villa was Princess Pingning’s suggestion.”
“No, whether we go to the Hot Spring Villa or not, they will take action,” Lu Ziyan said slowly with an inscrutable gaze. “Arriving at the Hot Spring Villa would merely shift their action from daytime to nighttime.”
After all, that Miss Pei from her past life was one of the Second Prince’s concubines.
Having achieved this merit, she could probably be promoted from concubine to side consort?
However, the Second Prince does not have several thousand elite soldiers in his hands…
Lu Ziyan pondered for a few breaths, then said, “Who is the family of the First Prince’s newly selected Imperial Consort?”
He had left the Capital City for many months, and Ming Feng, who transmitted messages extremely quickly, was not allowed to be used either, so his understanding of the situation in the Capital City was not that rapid.
Ming Feng replied: “Originally, Consort Xian had selected the young lady from Minister of Personnel Cao’s family, but later the First Prince fell for the young lady from Yu family himself, and they got engaged a month ago.”
The Yu surname is rare for the Great Khan, and the young lady from Yu family who is qualified to be the First Prince’s Imperial Consort must be the daughter of the general Yu Cheng who is stationed at Yan Yun Pass.
This was right.
Lu Ziyan’s expression grew increasingly grim and cold. He slowly stood up and looked toward the direction of Xiangzhou. After a long while, the corners of his lips curved into an icy arc.
Entering the game with your own body, colluding with the enemy and treason, Yu Cheng, you deserve to die.
The First Prince and Second Prince also deserve to die.
Is there anyone else who stuck their hand in?
He abruptly turned around, facing the Capital City, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
Such an important place like the Capital City, right under his eyelid, allowing an outsider general to kidnap the girl at the commander’s heart, whether the Emperor knew or not, he is not innocent.
As expected, wastes are still wastes. The external enemies have not yet been repelled, and his mind is full of those emperor’s power tactics.
