Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Searching for No Trace

Just a few hours ago, she finally took the initiative to greet him at the door. She softly said that she had been feeling pent up over the arguments for a long time, and added that today was the perfect day for a walk with a clear autumn sky and pleasant scenery.

Just like in the past, she took his hand and rocked it gently, pestering him to go out together.

She spoke softly and gently, and it was rare for her to be so enthusiastic. He naturally agreed happily. How could he bear to go against her wishes and spoil her fun?

They rode out of the city in a carriage, accompanied by their servants.

She was like a bird out of a cage, pushing open the window and rolling up the curtains, her bright eyes moving between the scenery along the way that he had already become accustomed to, and she looked as excited as if she was seeing it for the first time.

She leaned against the car window, her chin resting on one arm, her waist slender and curvaceous. She held his hand with one hand, playfully scratching the calloused skin on his fingertips. She smiled at him and said that since their first argument had ended, they should paint a picture to commemorate it. She also said that the wealth he held was so vast it made her dizzy.

The bright autumn sun bathed her cheeks and shoulders, the pink hairpin in her black hair shone brightly, her snowy skin and red lips became more distinct, yet her eyebrows and eyes were hazy as a veil, seeming both real and illusory.

The carriage had just stopped at the riverbank as she'd instructed. Without waiting for his help, she leaped down as nimbly as a rabbit and excitedly ran up to the platform, pulling him along. The dam was nearly two meters high, with huge rocks built deep on both sides. From their high vantage point, they could see the surging waves crashing against the rocks, the roar deafening.

She seemed startled and frightened, inching closer to his side, yet couldn't help but look out. After a moment, she stood up straight, gazing into the distance, and finally, unable to suppress her fear, she pulled him back twenty or thirty feet away.

The water flowed more slowly here, but it still surged. The two of them paused at the edge of the dike, where guards were patrolling. She stood tall, pulled several thin slips of paper from her waist bag, and handed them to him. Words like deception, anger, quarrel, and threat were written on them, all reminiscent of the knots that had lingered in her heart.

She leaned against the roaring waves, her figure appearing even smaller as her hair and clothes flowed. Her face was as white as jade, her eyes as bright as stars. She lowered her shoulders and raised her voice, her expression open and magnanimous. She said, "The world is ruthless, but the mighty rivers can cleanse all things." "Now, I will use this torrent's momentum to cleanse all the knots in my heart, clear my mind, and begin anew with you."

He was caught off guard, overwhelmed by surprise. Without a second thought, he gently embraced her and walked forward. He saw her lightly raise her hand, letting the slips of paper dangle in the river breeze. With a flick of her fingertips, the papers were instantly swept away by the rapids, disappearing into the waves, leaving no trace.

She pushed him back to paint, and turned to face the surging river, arms outstretched like wings, standing in the wind. Only when he called her softly did she turn around and smile.

At that time, the sun was bright, the world was vast, her smile was bright and her dimples were rippled, without any trace of gloom.

......

The sound of waves crashing against the shore is still ringing in my ears, and the scene of the woman with her clothes fluttering, standing alone in the wind, looking back and smiling, is still as clear as before my eyes!

After she fell into the river, several people jumped into the rapids to search for her, but found nothing. Then they dispatched soldiers to search all the tributaries and adjacent areas, sparing no manpower and material resources.

Chasing from day to dusk, and from dusk until heaven and earth were completely dark, he didn't find even a strand of hair or a piece of clothing!

"cough--"

Downstream of the dam, the stream meanders and people and horses are everywhere like shade.

In the complete silence, someone coughed uncontrollably in pain, as if severely injured, and a faint smell of blood lingered in the air.

The sound of galloping horses suddenly pierced the dead silence. With a whoosh, a figure spun, its hems fluttering. A faint light flickered in those pupils, darker than the night, only to vanish abruptly at the urgent call of the visitor.

Tongze bowed his hands. The two cold, stern gazes above him felt like a mountain pressing down on him, like a ferocious beast lying in wait. His scalp tingled, cold sweat streamed down his face, and his throat felt dry and tight.

"...Your Excellency, the Emperor has decreed that you return to the capital immediately to appear before Him. If you disobey this order again...you will be severely punished according to the law."

After a moment of silence, there was a series of small rustling sounds, which turned out to be caused by footsteps stepping on the gravel on the ground.

A tall figure paused by the stream, his Adam's apple like a sharp peak hidden in the shadows, and suddenly rolled. His voice was hoarse and dry, as if he had not spoken for a long time.

"Keep looking,"

Although Zhenhe Dike is not the main dam in Beijing, but only a small dam on the downstream tributary, if someone falls into it, the chance of survival is still slim.

Even though I saw her fall into the raging waves with my own eyes, knowing that the river was full of hidden rocks and the current was fast, and she was not good at swimming, she was completely unprepared and fell backwards,

Even if the search has been unsuccessful so far, the situation is likely to be dire.

Qin Jingyao was still unwilling to give up, and even more unwilling to say, "If he's alive, I want to see him in person; if he's dead, I want to see his body."

"Order--"

"Anyone who participates in the search and rescue will have their reward doubled, day and night! Starting from the riverbank entrance, regardless of where it flows to, search every tree, grass, passerby, and local residents along the riverbank. All tributaries of the river must be searched meticulously, leaving no trace! Until..."

"Until we find the person!"

The hoarse voice seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of the chest, slamming heavily into the silent night, so gloomy that it made people breathless.

"I will obey your orders, sir!"

The black shadows swayed, and several groups of people holding torches scattered in all directions, like sparks falling in the night, and were instantly lost in the vast darkness.

*

When Qin Jingyao was the Grand Marshal, he was in charge of the power to mobilize troops. Later, he was promoted to the Minister of the Chancellery. He took the initiative to resign the military power, but the emperor trusted him and did not agree, so he continued to serve as the Grand Marshal.

Although mobilizing the officers and soldiers in the city now seems outrageous, it is within the scope of power and can be justified.

However, mobilizing such a large force under the Emperor's feet would surely alarm His Majesty. If it were official business, it could be justified, but to seek a woman and to refuse the Emperor's summons three times was sheer arrogance and transgression, provoking the Emperor's majesty.

Disobeying the imperial order and using public property for personal gain, no matter which one it is, are serious crimes punishable by beheading and imprisonment.

Therefore, when the emperor summoned him for the last time at the end of the night, and learned that he had not returned yet, he just sneered and went to bed, allowing the Shangshu Ling of the current dynasty to enter the palace in the middle of the night and kneel alone outside the Qilin Palace.

At dawn the next day, the emperor walked out of the palace, stopped and looked at them for a long time, then ordered them to get up in a cold voice.

Qin Jingyao thanked him respectfully and stood up. He staggered slightly, but did not stop for a moment. He was about to leave the palace to change clothes when he saw the eunuch in the palace hurried forward and said, "Sir Linggong, please stay. His Majesty has ordered that you go to the side hall to change clothes."

Qin Jingyao glanced sideways and saw a crimson-purple second-rank official's uniform and hat neatly placed on a blue satin tray. The man, having kneeled all night, had a wrinkled robe and dusty hat, but his shoulders remained straight as a pine tree. His face was stern, his eyes seemed to be soaked in the cold night, as silent as the abyss.

His voice was hoarse, and he bowed deeply towards the place where the emperor left.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your grace."

*

The dawn is just breaking and the sun is about to rise.

Inside the Golden Throne Hall, palace lanterns were ablaze as officials welcomed the emperor back to his seats. Several eyes, both inside and outside the hall, quietly shifted to the man at the head of the left row, dressed in a crimson official robe, his posture erect and his attire neatly arranged.

Although his demeanor is outstanding, he is shrouded in a layer of biting coldness, like a solitary peak covered with snow, making people dare not look at him directly.

After a while, an official in the crimson censor's uniform came out with a staff, and his voice of reprimanding echoed throughout the hall.

"...I have impeached the Minister of the Chancellery for three crimes! First, he privately mobilized officers and soldiers from the capital without any official order, and they have not returned to date. Second, he abused public resources for personal gain, wielding power and disregarding the law. Third, as the Minister of the Chancellery, he should be a role model for all officials, yet he blocked the river for his own selfish reasons, harming the country and the people!"

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate and punish severely!"

As soon as the words fell, only two imperial censors stepped forward to second the motion, and the entire hall fell silent. All the court officials lowered their heads, no one echoing the voice, and no one spoke out to refute it.

Yesterday's commotion was so intense that everyone in the capital, from high officials to the common people, knew that the Minister of State had lost his temper for his beloved. And who didn't know that the woman he kept in his outer residence, accompanying him day and night, had fallen into the river and disappeared, her life or death still unknown?

Although according to common sense, falling into such a steep rapid, she would have already perished...

However, seeing that Shangshu Lingning accepted the censor's report and the emperor's punishment, he still did not withdraw his troops and continued to search, he knew that the woman must be the apple of his eye and the calamity in his life.

I am afraid that my beloved concubine has passed away. This pain is heartbreaking and my anger is burning. How can I calm down?

Even though he knelt outside the palace all night, the emperor showed some mercy. If he truly wanted to punish him severely, why would he have allowed him into the palace? He should have been kneeling outside the palace gates long ago. Seeing that he was still standing firmly in the palace during the morning court session, I knew that His Majesty would not punish him severely, but only give him a slight warning.

He was a man of vengeance, and it was his duty to impartially report to the emperor. If anyone rashly stepped forward at this moment, it would be like the God of Longevity hanging himself, seeking his own death.

In the final analysis, whether this matter is big or small depends entirely on the Holy Heart's decision.

It's too early to rush forward now.

*

It was autumn, the weather was still warm, and the nights were not cold. However, I had been kneeling on the cold, hard blue-white bricks all night, without a moment's rest. Since the incident happened yesterday, I had been running back and forth for dozens of miles, sleepless day and night, and had not eaten or drunk anything.

His knees ached like knives, his stomach burned, and his throat felt like it held a knife. Yet, Qin Jingyao lifted his robe and knelt, his posture remaining dignified. Only his voice was hoarse and deep, and everyone who heard it was moved and looked sideways.

"I lost my mind in a moment of anxiety and acted impulsively, betraying Your Majesty's grace. I know my guilt is grave and I willingly accept the punishment!"

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The author has something to say: [Shy] Give us a lot of armor, the novel is a fictional plot, jumping into the river is absolutely not allowed in real life! Super loud <<<

Babies, take a break today, there are not many words, I will make up for it tomorrow [heart][heart]