Chapter 81: This Is Inhuman
In Songyang Town.
Zhao Zun, accompanied by Ping Chuan and Xiao Zhengfei, returned to the inn dejectedly. Sunlight slanted through the mottled wooden windows, yet it couldn’t penetrate their gloomy moods.
Inside the inn, Jin Ju and Zitan were waiting anxiously, and when they saw them return, a hint of worry flashed in their eyes as they awkwardly forced a smile.
"Prince, you’re back. Did you find Miss Han?"
Zhao Zun shook his head, glancing around the room.
"Did Miss Han return?"
Jin Ju and Zitan also shook their heads.
Seeing this, Zhao Zun felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, his heart sinking to the bottom.
He instinctively reached for the Love Lock in his bosom, the lustrous green jade loop snugly hanging there, becoming his only spiritual solace at this moment.
The entire morning, they had scoured all the inns and taverns in town, inquiring with many who might have seen Han Lei, but all replies were shakes of the head and unknowns.
The girl who was always beautifully smiling and playfully sweet had vanished without a trace, like she had evaporated from the earth.
At this moment, Zhao Zun’s mind was filled with longing and concern for Han Lei.
Where is she now?
Is she safe now?
Has she been injured?
Is she eating on time?
Will she be hungry?
Is she thinking of him at this time?
Each question was like a sharp blade, carving bloody marks in his heart.
Xiao Zhengfei sighed upon seeing this.
"Prince, I think this blind searching isn’t a solution. Miss Han has that unique weapon with her, self-defense shouldn’t be an issue. Moreover, she knows our destination is Canzhou, maybe she went directly to Canzhou to find us after escaping. We should head to Canzhou to wait for her, and search along the way."
Beside him, Ping Chuan also chimed in agreement: "Prince, what Mr. Xiao said makes sense. Our people have gone ahead to Taoyuan County; just the few of us searching here is too slow. Besides, the ones who took Miss Han must have either gone to Canzhou to blackmail the Prince or somewhere else. They likely won’t stay here."
Zhao Zun, hearing this, remained anxious but knew Xiao Zhengfei was right.
Staying here to search would not only consume more energy and effort, but they might also miss the next opportunity to find Han Lei.
Moreover, Han Lei had always been clever and resourceful, with that mysterious weapon for protection, perhaps she really could turn peril into safety.
So, Zhao Zun nodded, forcing a smile: "Alright, let’s head to Canzhou to wait for her. And search as we go."
The group packed their belongings, preparing to leave the inn. Seeing this, Jin Ju had a flash of reluctance in her eyes.
"Prince, you’re leaving already? Not waiting for Miss Han?"
Zhao Zun gently patted Jin Ju’s shoulder: "Jin Ju, you and Ping Chuan stay here for a day. If Miss Han returns to the inn looking for us, then head to Canzhou together. If Miss Han hasn’t returned in a day, then you two go to Canzhou by yourselves."
Jin Ju nodded, tears in her eyes.
"Prince, it’s all my fault. Miss Han will definitely come back."
Looking at the two self-blaming maids, Zhao Zun sighed deeply. What use was blaming them now? Finding her was what mattered most.
Bidding farewell to Jin Ju and Ping Chuan, Zhao Zun and the others set off on their journey to Canzhou.
Along the way, they remained silent, with Zhao Zun occasionally taking out the Love Lock, gently rubbing its surface, as if feeling Han Lei’s presence this way.
...... I’m the lazy dividing line ......
The spring breeze at Beiguan still carried a sense of foreboding, especially in these turbulent times.
As night fell and the moon hung high, Turkic cavalry reappeared like cunning wolves on the border of Beiguan.
They weren’t many, but moved swiftly, appearing and disappearing like ghosts, causing endless trouble for the Beiguan soldiers.
"Report—! Turkic cavalry are harassing us again!" A scout rushed breathlessly into the central command tent to report.
Cao Xiong was in the tent, frantically going over maps. His brows tightly furrowed, eyes bloodshot.
Hearing the scout’s report, he slammed the table and stood up, bellowing: "Those damned Turks, they’re simply too arrogant!"
Cao Xiong, clad in silver armor, had a robust physique and was indeed a brave general in terms of martial prowess.
However, for this past month, Turkic cavalry had continuously harassed the Beiguan border like wandering spirits. Each time was a small detachment of cavalry, like sticky candy, hard to shake off or expel.
The Turkic harassment varied in numbers and timing, keeping him up at odd hours, where he would seize every chance to sleep after each harassment.
Though only in his thirties, this month had turned his hair white from exhaustion.
"Marshal, shall I lead the troops out to strike?" Deputy General Li Gang stood nearby, sternly requesting.
Cao Xiong pondered for a moment, wishing he could lead his troops out to crush the Turks, yet he felt indecisive.
Each Turkic harassment targeted their weak points, retreating as soon as reinforcements arrived, never entangled in prolonged combat.
If they pursued outside the city, the Turks would vanish like cunning hares into the boundless plains.
If they didn’t pursue, this harassment was like a dull knife slicing meat, painfully endless.
He now understood that the Turkic aim was to exhaust them, depriving them of proper rest.
"No need." Cao Xiong waved his hand, "These Turks are too crafty. Pursuit is futile. Send orders for tighter border patrols and close monitoring of Turkic movements."
"Yes."
Deputy General Li Gang took the orders and left, but Cao Xiong still sat in the central tent, feeling restless.
Before taking over as Marshal of Beiguan, though he served in the Imperial Army and hadn’t personally led troops in battle, he had honed his martial skills and studied military strategy.
He knew that these seemingly middling harassment tactics, though appearing minor, were a massive blow to the morale of Beiguan soldiers over time.
And he, as Marshal of Beiguan, was defenseless, forced to react passively.
Imagine him, Cao Xiong, once high-spirited in the Imperial Army, now reduced to this state by a group of Turkic cavalry, mentally crumbling.
Those damned Turkic cavalry, impossible to chase or pin down.
The soldiers in his camp longed for Zhao Zun, and to date, he hadn’t found an opportunity to claim victory and establish his authority.
If things continued this way, he feared he’d gain no honors, only become a drained corpse.
He had initially thought that with his brother Cao Ge’s arrangements, obtaining a Marshal position at the border would elevate the Cao Family to the heights of Capital City’s elite.
But little did he expect that the Marshal position Zhao Zun managed with ease was too much for him to handle.
"Damn it, I really can’t stay in this Marshal position any longer."
The more Cao Xiong thought, the more humiliated he felt, and the more he crumbled. He picked up a brush from the table, intending to write a memorial to the court, asking Emperor Jing to reassign a capable person to guard Beiguan.