He said urgently, "Sir, I have already reported everything in detail to the official who came to investigate earlier. After having lunch here, that official changed horses and left in a hurry."
"Oh? Tell me more about it." Li Xi frowned slightly, tapping her fingers lightly on the table, as if she was thinking about some key information.
Liu, the postmaster, quickly replied, "That day, about half a month ago, a scout in military uniform arrived at the post station looking travel-worn and anxious. He claimed that he had urgent military information that needed to be reported to the court immediately. He rested here for a while and there was nothing unusual about him. You can ask the others."
"Others?" Li Xi's voice held a hint of scrutiny. "Then, did you notice if he asked anything unusual, or mentioned any military intelligence? Also, did you pay attention to the direction he left in?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yicheng tried hard to recall the scene from that day, his brows furrowed as he said, "Reporting to my lord, the scout asked about the best route to the capital, and seemed to be in a great hurry."
As for the specific details of the military intelligence, he revealed nothing, only saying that it was of great importance and required a personal audience with the Emperor. Regarding the direction he was heading, he was indeed heading towards the capital. It was already late, but the horses at the post stations were all carefully selected steeds, so he should be able to travel quickly.
Li Xi nodded, slowing her typing as if she were organizing her thoughts. "So, do you remember the scout's physical characteristics clearly?"
Liu Yicheng nodded quickly and described him in detail: "He is over six feet tall, of medium build, and has a shallow scar on his left cheek."
After hearing his words, Li Xi suddenly changed the subject: "Lord Liu, I heard that your young master is serving in the capital?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yicheng's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir, that is indeed the case. My son is only holding a minor post, and I am sorry for your concern."
Li Xi: "Lord Liu, there is no need to be so modest. Even a minor post in the capital is far more prestigious than those of us who run errands. I imagine your son must be exceptionally talented to have secured a place under the Emperor's nose."
Liu Yicheng listened cautiously, unsure of Li Xi's intentions. "Thank you for your praise, sir."
"I wonder what that scout ate that day? Do you remember?" she asked the two people in front of her.
Li Xi's eyes suddenly became deep.
“That day…” the courier tried to recall, “that gentleman came in a hurry and did not stay here for long. I remember he only asked for a bowl of clear soup noodles.”
Because it was an urgent dispatch, the postmaster was very nervous and chose the best horses.
Such express deliveries have been rare in recent years, so they still remember them quite vividly.
On the surface, there seems to be no problem; if there were any issues, the emperor's men would have noticed them long ago.
Let's wait for Chen Quan to investigate before taking any further action.
If there was something wrong with the noodles the scout ate, they would definitely deny it to the death.
She decided to go back to the dense forest where the scouts had last appeared.
If the problem was with the food, he should have gone to the clinic instead of the woods. What was he planning to do there?
At the time, a passing villager found an unclaimed horse and thought he had gotten a great deal.
However, when he saw the word "official" tattooed on the horse's back, he knew it was an official's horse and had no choice but to report it to the authorities.
When Li Xi arrived at the tree where the horse was tied, the scout had probably been ambushed while relieving himself.
My maternal grandmother didn't find any clues yesterday either.
She retraced the route from here to where she finally found the person, to see if she had missed anything.
If the bloodstained strip of cloth was left by him, perhaps he was attacked while relieving himself and fled all the way to that stone chamber.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she found a waist tag in the bushes, with only the simple character "探" (explorer) engraved on it.
It must be the scout's token.
Originally, it was a messenger who delivered the battle report. Presumably, there must have been something important before the battle, which is why a scout was needed to deliver the battle report directly back to the capital and personally hand it to the emperor.
Normally, battle reports were first sent to the Grand Council, where personnel would then report important information to the emperor.
Perhaps the emperor has some secret.
Although Li Xi was puzzled, he could not disobey the emperor's orders. Since he had taken on this task, he had to do it well no matter what.
She discovered a cliff near the stone chamber.
After a search, signs of a struggle were found. The search ended abruptly at the edge of the cliff.
Below the cliff, clouds and mist swirl, obscuring the bottom, with the faint sound of flowing water adding to the mystery and unpredictability of this desolate place.
Li Xi thought to himself that if the scout had really fallen from here, he probably had no hope of survival.
She looked around, searching for a path down to the bottom of the cliff, but all she saw were sheer, smooth cliffs, clearly not a place that could be easily climbed.
Although she possessed the skill of lightness and agility, there was nowhere to gain leverage on the edge of the cliff.
Just as she was at her wit's end, she caught a glimpse of an unusual green in the corner of her eye—a vine was clinging tightly to the rock face, stretching down to the bottom of the cliff.
Overjoyed, Li Xi immediately stepped forward and carefully slid down the vines.
Although the vines are thin, they are exceptionally resilient.
As she descended, the surrounding scenery gradually became clearer. Hidden amidst the swirling clouds and mist was a secluded valley, with flowing streams and lush vegetation, a stark contrast to the desolation of the outside world.
After landing, Li Xi quickly gathered her thoughts and began searching for clues in the valley.
She walked along the stream and soon discovered a cave entrance that was very well hidden.
The cave was dimly lit, but a faint smell of blood filled the air.
Taking out the luminous pearl, she then discovered a person lying beside the pile of stones, whose fate was unknown.
Li Xi's heart suddenly raced. She moved closer gently, trying not to make a sound.
They were afraid of disturbing the person, and also afraid that if the person woke up, they would be an enemy.
At that moment, the man let out a faint groan.
Li Xi tried to call out to him, "Are you Zhang Zhen?"
In the dim light, she could see the face covered in dust and bloodstains.
The man heard the call and slowly opened his eyes.
His chapped lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but in the end only he could make weaker gasps.
"Don't rush, tell me slowly," Li Xi comforted him, while taking out a water bottle from her bag and carefully feeding him a few sips of water.
With the moisture, the man's breathing seemed to improve slightly. He nodded and answered in a hoarse voice, "I...I am."
Suddenly, he grabbed Li Xi's hand and pulled a letter from his pocket. "Finally, someone has come. I'm afraid I can't hold on any longer. You must personally deliver this secret letter to His Majesty."
After saying that, it was as if he had used up all his strength.
Li Xi also noticed the knife wounds on his body. In this emergency, she immediately took out the Resurrection Pill that Lan'er had prepared for her.
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