freenovelworld Chapter 740 Why aren't they back yet? It's completely dark, what if...?
Chapter 740 Why aren't they back yet? It's completely dark, what if...?
As dusk fell, wisps of smoke rose from the Xiyuan Hunting Grounds.
The people, laden with their spoils, gathered around the campfire, excitedly displaying their day's catch, their laughter carrying far in the cold air.
However, as time went by, some people finally realized that something was wrong.
"Huh, why hasn't His Highness the Crown Prince returned yet?"
"It seems that Miss Gu is nowhere to be seen either."
Whispers quickly spread through the crowd, and people exchanged knowing glances. Everyone had witnessed His Highness the Crown Prince chasing after Miss Gu.
Young people are playful, and since they are mutually attracted, it's normal for things to take a while longer.
Princess Jiahe sat in her tent, listening to the news brought by the maid outside. She simply hummed in response and waved for her to leave.
She picked up her teacup, gazing at her blurry reflection in the clear tea, her expression utterly calm.
Wang Ruoyu and An Qing'er sat to the side, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
Seeing Princess Jiahe's unyielding attitude, they were both anxious and afraid, completely unable to fathom her thoughts.
Night had completely fallen, and the campfire in the camp burned even brighter, but the two figures who should have appeared the most were still nowhere to be seen.
Inside the Zhenguo Duke's camp, the atmosphere was heavy and tense.
Chu Ruohan was restless, walking to the tent entrance again and again, peering into the dark depths of the forest, her beautiful face filled with undisguised anxiety.
"Why aren't they back yet? It's already completely dark, and the mountain roads are treacherous. What if..."
"Nothing will happen," Gu Junze interrupted her in a deep voice.
He was a military genius, unfazed even by the collapse of Mount Tai before him. But at this moment, his heart, that of a general and a father, was gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard for him to breathe.
Just then, the curtain was lifted, and the chief eunuch beside Emperor Zhao Yunci walked in, bowing and saying, "Your Excellency, Madam, His Majesty requests your presence."
Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan exchanged a glance, then immediately stood up and strode towards the brightly lit imperial tent.
Inside the imperial tent, Zhao Yunci still had a smile on his face. He looked at Gu Junze, whose expression was heavy, and said to comfort him, "Junze, calm down."
"I know Chen'an well. It's rare for him to care so much about a woman. Perhaps he was just being playful and wanted to show off in front of Chen'er, so he forgot the time."
His words were both a reassurance and a way of setting the tone for their future relationship.
Gu Junze suppressed the ominous premonition in his heart and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is right. I was just confused because I was worried."
But another hour passed.
The cold wind howled, and even the noise around the campfire gradually subsided, but there was still no news of Zhao Chen'an and Gu Qingchen.
Even Zhao Yunci's expression changed at this moment.
Gu Junze could no longer sit still. He stood up abruptly, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, I will personally lead men to search for him!"
Chu Ruohan's eyes reddened, and her voice trembled as she pleaded, "Your Majesty, please grant me permission!"
Looking at the anxious couple below, Zhao Yunci felt a bad premonition rising in her heart.
He immediately ordered: "Issue my decree, ordering the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards to lead a team to search alongside the Duke of Zhenguo!"
"According to the order!"
The torches, like dragons, instantly illuminated the dark forest.
Gu Junze mounted his horse and took the lead, the torch in his hand flickering and illuminating his icy face.
The search team quickly arrived at the secluded red plum grove based on what everyone had said during the day.
"General! There are signs of a struggle here!" a guard shouted.
The crowd immediately gathered around. They saw that the snow was covered with messy footprints, several branches of red plum trees had been cut off by sharp weapons, and dirt was flying everywhere, leaving a scene of utter chaos.
An experienced guard crouched down, picked up a bit of dark snow, brought it to his nose and smelled it. His expression changed drastically: "It's blood!"
Gu Junze's heart sank. He followed the messy traces all the way.
The trail was intermittent, eventually leading to the edge of a bottomless cliff.
The howling wind from the cliff swept up the snow on the ground, emitting a mournful wail.
Everyone stopped in their tracks here.
Gu Junze's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, scanned every inch of the cliff edge. Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply.
On a protruding black rock at the edge of the cliff, a small piece of bright red cloth was trembling slightly in the cold wind.
He was all too familiar with that color and texture.
It was the riding outfit Qingchen was wearing today!
Gu Junze felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and the whole world seemed to spin.
He staggered forward, reaching out his hand—the hand that had slain countless enemies on the battlefield—but now it trembled violently.
He trembled as he gently picked up the torn piece of clothing.
"Qingchen—!"
The news spread like wildfire back to the camp.
Inside the imperial tent, Zhao Yunci listened to the guards' report, and the color drained from her face.
He suddenly crushed the white jade teacup in his hand, and scalding tea mixed with blood dripped from between his fingers, but he seemed oblivious.
"Very well, very well indeed!" He slowly stood up, a storm brewing in his eyes, his voice low and terrifying. "Right under my nose, they dare to harm my crown prince! They dare to harm my future daughter-in-law!"
He turned abruptly and gave a chilling order to the commander of the Imperial Guards standing outside the tent.
"Immediately seal off the West Garden! Not even a fly is allowed to escape!"
"By imperial decree, all nine gates of the capital are to be placed under martial law! Thoroughly investigate all suspicious persons!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards knelt on one knee, listening with trepidation.
Zhao Yunci's gaze pierced through the curtains, looking towards the dark cliff, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Order the Duke of Zhenguo to personally lead men to search! Search every inch of the ground, even if it means digging three feet into the ground!"
"You want to see people alive, you want to see corpses when you're dead!"