Shang Huai pondered. This group of people went to so much trouble to take the child away, only to leave him with the farmer.
What is the purpose of doing this?
A bad feeling suddenly arose in Shang Huai's heart.
If the child is here safe and sound, then they must have ulterior motives.
Shang Huai quickly mounted his horse: "All troops, follow me back to the city."
Shang Huai left his group behind and slowly returned with the child.
The rest of the men followed him, galloping back to the city.
Shang Huai's intuition told him that something must have happened to Pei Zhi.
On the way back to the city, Shang Huai received a message from his soldiers.
Pei Minxue's men came to ask for help.
They left the city and were surrounded; Pei Minxue was wounded.
Pei Zhi lured the enemy away alone, and now his fate is unknown.
Shang Huai's mind was in turmoil, but he remained unusually calm and said, "Lead the way."
He needed to stay calm; Pei Zhi was waiting for him to save her.
The soldiers came with the Pei family's guards, who led the way for them.
Shang Huai gripped the reins, wishing he could fly to Pei Zhi's side.
"General, be careful."
The soldiers beside Shang Huai saw their general riding his horse straight into a tree and quickly warned him.
Shang Huai snapped out of his daze and quickly tightened the reins.
"General, are you alright?"
"It's alright, getting on the road is the priority."
Shang Huai was just momentarily distracted; he seemed unable to even see the road ahead.
Upon closer inspection, one can see that Shang Huai's hand holding the sword is trembling; Shang Huai is afraid.
He was afraid he wouldn't have enough time.
Shang Huai had never felt so powerless.
Even when he was young and besieged by the enemy, he didn't sleep for three days and three nights, and his life was hanging by a thread, Shang Huai was never afraid.
But now, Shang Huai is truly afraid.
He was afraid that he would lose Pei Zhi.
Shang Huai caught up with Pei Minxue, and Pei Minxue saw Shang Huai as if he had seen a savior.
"Your men have been turned."
“He said he had found news of the child and tricked us into leaving the city. As a result, we were besieged.”
Shang Huai grew impatient to listen any longer and grabbed Pei Minxue's shoulder, asking, "Where's Zhizhi?"
“Zhizhi…” Pei Minxue choked up, “The enemy outnumbered us, and she seemed to realize that the enemy was coming for her.”
Pei Minxue lowered his head in self-reproach: "She rode off alone on horseback, and everyone chased after her. I couldn't find her..."
Shang Huai said loudly, "Everyone, relay my order to start a search on the spot. I want to find them alive or dead."
"Brother Minxue, you should go back and rest first. Tell His Majesty about this matter in its entirety, so that the person behind it doesn't get away."
“Okay, okay.” Pei Minxue nodded repeatedly.
Pei Minxue knew that since Shang Huai had arrived, there was no point in him staying.
Pei Minxue suddenly grabbed Shang Huai's arm, "Whether you live or die, you must bring Zhizhi back."
Shang Huai nodded solemnly: "I definitely will."
The group scattered and searched everywhere. Since it was already late at night, they lit torches and began their search.
"Report! There's blood here!"
Upon hearing the noise, Shang Huai rushed over.
Sure enough, there were bloodstains on the dense foliage.
Shang Huai touched it with his hand; the blood wasn't dry yet, so it was very likely Pei Zhi's blood, or that of a villain.
"Continue searching along this road."
Shang Huai walked at the front with a knife in his hand. As they walked further ahead, they saw horses lying on the ground.
Shang Huai recognized that the horse bore the Pei family's insignia.
Shang Huai breathed a sigh of relief; this horse was not Pei Zhi's.
Continuing forward, Shang Huai saw signs of a fight.
Further ahead, there was a cliff.
Shang Huai suddenly took two steps back. What if Pei Zhi was forced to the edge of a cliff?
This group of people are determined to kill Pei Zhi.
There was so much blood on the ground, but no trace of any corpse.
Shang Huai stepped forward and looked down at the cliff. Pei Zhi was right below.
The person next to Shang Huai quickly grabbed his arm, "General, be careful, don't act rashly."
Shang Huai shook off his subordinate's hand, "I'm not that stupid."
"She's still waiting for me to rescue her," Shang Huai said, then told everyone to split up and find a shortcut.
Shang Huai followed the others on a detour, and at the foot of the cliff was a shallow stream.
If someone were to fall from above and land in the stream, they would certainly not survive.
Shang Huai carefully examined the bottom of the stream and, after confirming that he saw no trace of blood, felt much more at ease.
Everyone scattered and started climbing.
The cliff was huge, and everyone scattered to search.
"Found a shoe."
Shang Huai quickly took them; these were Pei Zhi's shoes, and Pei Zhi must be at the bottom of the cliff.
"Find her quickly, find her quickly, she must still be alive!"
Shang Huai firmly believes that Pei Zhi is still alive.
Pei Zhi could not possibly have died so easily.
He believed that Pei Zhi would survive.
Otherwise, it would be too cruel for him.
He waited all these years, and finally, the person came back.
So, are we just going to let him watch them get away?
It would be quicker and more efficient to just kill Shang Huai with a single blow.
When Xiao Chengci in the palace heard the news, he almost fell off his chair.
Xiao Chengci grabbed Pei Minxue by the collar, "Where is she? Where is Pei Zhi?"
Pei Minxue slumped his shoulders. "I don't know. Shang Huai is still looking."
Xiao Chengci questioned, "You're her brother, she went out with you, how could you not know?"
Pei Minxue knelt on the ground, "If I could, I would truly want to be the one to die."
Without thinking, Xiao Chengci kicked her, saying, "Stop cursing her here."
"Pei Zhi can't die, she absolutely won't die."
"She just promised me that she would come to the palace to accompany me in the future, how could she possibly die?"
How could Pei Zhi have died while he was filled with hope for the future?
Pei Minxue was kicked so hard that he spat out blood. Already injured, he couldn't get up at all.
Xiao Chengci drew a sword from the side. When the palace servants saw this, they thought His Majesty was about to kill Lord Pei and were about to step forward to stop him.
Xiao Chengci held his sword. "Prepare the horses. I'm going to the royal villa."
Xiao Chengci's face was terrifyingly sinister; clearly, he wasn't going to the villa to visit the Empress Dowager.
The palace attendant advised, "Your Majesty, it's already dark. Why don't you go tomorrow?"
"What, you're not even obeying my orders anymore? Have you gotten too comfortable with your head on your neck?"
The palace servants immediately went to make the arrangements.
After learning the whole story from Pei Minxue, Xiao Chengci understood that the person behind it all was none other than the one at the Royal Villa.
In the whole world, no one dared to oppose him except his own mother.
Even though Xiao Chengci had fallen out with the Empress Dowager, he never imagined that his mother could be so ruthless.
Instead of killing him, they attacked his beloved.
Sure enough, those closest to you know best how to hurt you.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
