Xie Xiao frowned, his face grim and pale, "She'll be fine."
He turned to leave, but Li Qing stopped him, saying, "I've already sent people to look for you; it'll be the same result if you go."
"Then I'll go and guard it myself!"
He had just finished speaking when Liao Fusheng entered. Xie Xiao's eyes snapped open, and before Li Qing could stop him, Liao Fusheng was sent flying with a "bang."
Liao Fusheng coughed up blood and staggered to his feet. If the others hadn't been holding Xie Xiao, he would have been punched again.
"It's my fault, I won't complain no matter how much you hit me."
Xie Xiao stared at him menacingly. If looks could kill, Liao Fusheng would have died a thousand times over.
"If you don't utter a single word about what happened after she came here, I'll kill you."
Liao Fusheng recounted the whole story in front of everyone.
Knowing that he had been tricked into going to Chenzhou, part of the reason was because they were worried that the plague would spread to Li Qing's army, and several people pleaded for him.
Xie Xiao's expression remained chillingly cold. "You said Mu Sisi told her about her dream. What kind of dream was it?"
There were only a few people present, all of whom were key figures in the team. Liao Fusheng considered it for a moment, but still spoke.
Xie Xiao's expression grew increasingly cold and stern until he froze, his gaze shifting darkly. Finally, he punched a pillar of the tent, nearly causing the entire tent to collapse.
"She must be angry with me and doesn't want to come back."
Seeing his eyes redden again, like a trapped beast, everyone was puzzled. It was just a dream, not real.
"Boss, I think Mu Sisi is wicked. Would she try to sow discord between you and my sister?" Er Gou said.
The fourth leader's face also stiffened, turning pale and then flushed. "I'll go ask her what she means."
Before he could leave, Physician Sun arrived. "Boss, Mu Sisi has woken up. She says she wants to see you and apologize."
The fourth leader wanted to go along, but Mu Sisi said she only saw Xie Xiao.
Xie Xiao's dark eyes were devoid of any light. "I won't see you."
He walked out, asked for a boat, and took the former Black Wind Stronghold's experts with him, setting off onto the water.
Sun Ergou quickly followed.
Liao Fusheng also led another group to search.
The rest of the people sighed.
They felt that after so many hours, in such weather, and with the girl injured, her chances of survival were slim.
A member of the search team that went up the mountain brought back news that they had also failed to find it.
Li Qing's heart was clenched tightly. He didn't show his emotions as openly as Xie Xiao, but his heartache was no less.
This pain and resentment could only be directed at the dog emperor and the Prince of Jiangning.
The following day, he gathered all the civil and military officials on the mountain, their families, the concubines and palace servants, and all the soldiers.
They dragged the dog emperor and the Prince of Jiangning to the open space at the highest point of Yuntai Temple and set up a platform there.
The crowd gasped in surprise.
“Li Qing, how can you treat His Majesty and the Crown Prince like this?” the Imperial Censor said, his neck stiff.
Li Qing's voice was stern, "Then how did they treat General Li and his 30,000 soldiers, as well as the innocent civilians? Bring General Fu and Deputy General Yang here!"
The families of both generals were in Li Qing's hands, and they all confessed.
The ministers were in an uproar.
"I see!"
"It's a pity that General Li, who was loyal to the emperor and loved his country, ended up with no trace of his body."
"Your Majesty has actually colluded with the Emperor of Nanyun and framed loyal officials. You are unworthy to be a ruler."
"It was the Crown Prince who sowed discord."
"But if His Majesty were not narrow-minded, easily swayed by slander, and wary of meritorious officials, how could he have fallen for such a trick?"
"There isn't a single good person in the royal family."
"The Prince of Jiangning is so desperate for the throne that he disregards the people on the western border. It is truly hateful. On the contrary, it was Xie Xiao, this bandit, who saved them."
However, there were also those who firmly stood on the emperor's side, saying, "How can the words of traitors be believed! Little do they know that the two generals gave false testimony under duress."
"Putting aside whether it's true or not, since ancient times, if a ruler commands his subjects to die, the subjects have no choice but to die. So what if Your Majesty kills them?"
"Rebellion is rebellion, why bother with all sorts of excuses?"
Li Qing laughed loudly, "Good, good indeed! When the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die; the victor is king, the loser is a bandit. Now they are bandits, and I, this general, will cut them down right in front of you."
Before the execution, Li Qing prepared three bowls of wine, had someone read out the crimes of the emperor and the crown prince, then bowed three times to the south, took a sip of wine, and spat it on the emperor.
He personally chopped off his head with a single stroke.
All the civil and military officials were horrified, and some even fainted.
The concubines were all deathly pale, and more than half of them had fainted, though almost all of them had frozen to death.
Li Qing didn't kill Chu Yunji because he firmly believed that his sister was still alive, and he was the last person to see her.
Chu Yunji has become a cripple; there's no difference between him being alive and dead.
Next came the resettlement of prisoners. All the soldiers were incorporated into the army, and the ministers and their families, concubines and palace maids, etc., were either killed or imprisoned to prevent future troubles.
While Li Qing was cracking down on the capital with swift and decisive measures, the salvage operation was also proceeding day and night.
Three days have passed.
Five days have passed.
Ten days have passed.
They still had no news of Miss Li.
Xie Xiao stared at the vast expanse of water, his bloodshot eyes filled with anxiety.
"Boss, how about—"
"If you dare to advise me, then go and rebuild yourself in the water."
Sun Ergou felt embarrassed. He didn't want to accept the cruel fact that his sister was gone, but everyone said they couldn't find any other possibility.
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