mtlumby2d Chapter 167 Fate unknown, whereabouts unknown
Chapter 167 Fate unknown, whereabouts unknown
Five days later.
"Report!" The messenger from Yunzhou went straight to Qin Huai's study.
"Report! When the Crown Prince led his troops in pursuit, they fell into a trap set by the bandits and were completely wiped out!"
Qin Huai trembled as he looked at the letter delivered by the messenger. Cold sweat soaked his clothes, and he gasped for breath with his mouth half open. He couldn't believe it.
"Where is the Crown Prince?"
The person kneeling felt a chill run down their spine and stammered, "The young master's fate is currently unknown, and his whereabouts are unclear!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Huai's legs went weak and he fell backward. Fortunately, there were attendants behind him to support him, otherwise he would have fallen straight down.
He thought this was a war he was sure to win, so he sent his deputy generals and his most capable men, but he still failed. One of his sons lost his leg due to banditry in Yunzhou, and the other is currently missing.
This was undoubtedly bad news for Qin Huai.
"Enter the palace! Help me into the palace! I want to see His Majesty!"
Wanyue Courtyard.
Upon returning from outside, Wan Shuang didn't dare to linger for a moment. She ran all the way to the room and only stopped to catch her breath after seeing Qin Wan.
"Miss, something bad has happened!" She must have been running too fast, because after saying this, she was out of breath.
Nianqi hurriedly handed Wanshuang a cup of tea and gently patted her back.
"I told you I always train with you, but you never stop. Now that something's happened, your body can't take it anymore. Look at how out of breath you are, I'd think you were going to die!"
Nianqi's words were always harsh, and Wanshuang rolled her eyes at her. She didn't have time to pay attention to Nianqi right now; what she had to say was very important.
After things calmed down, Wan Shuang said, "Miss, something terrible has happened! I just saw a messenger from Yunzhou and inquired. He said that when the young master led his troops to suppress the bandits, they were ambushed and the entire army was wiped out. The young master's fate is unknown, and his whereabouts are unknown!"
"What?" Qin Wan exclaimed, jumping up from her chair.
"Are you telling the truth?" Qin Wan asked again.
Wan Shuang nodded, "It's true, the Marquis has already entered the palace, he must be here to discuss this matter!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Wan was momentarily dazed, and her heart clenched violently, even though she hated the Marquis's mansion and everyone in the Qin family.
But all of this happened far too fast. A few days ago, Su Yan'er was beaten to death, the Marquis's mansion was implicated, Qin Huai was demoted two positions, and Qin Lang was dismissed from his military post.
Qin Wan is finding it hard to accept that Qin Ye is in trouble now, as it all happened so suddenly.
It wasn't that she pitied the Marquis's family's plight, but rather that she felt someone was pulling the strings behind everything.
It was developing in a direction she couldn't control, which made her somewhat panicked.
Seeing Qin Wan's solemn expression, Wan Shuang assumed she was worried about Qin Ye, so she reassured her, "Miss, don't worry, the young master will definitely be alright!"
Qin Wan shook her head, "If the news you heard is true, then it doesn't matter whether Qin Ye lives or dies now; he's doomed anyway!"
Wan Shuang is unknown, her whereabouts are unclear, her fate is uncertain, but it's not said that she's definitely dead, so perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope.
Qin Wan's eyes were vacant, and she felt that all of this was terrifying.
Long ago, news came from Yunzhou that Qin Lang had been kidnapped by bandits. At that time, Qin Huai went to the palace to meet the emperor and asked for three thousand troops to support Yunzhou.
These three thousand troops were no small number, yet they were all wiped out. Although Emperor Xiao's punishment had not yet been handed down, it did not mean that Emperor Xiao was not furious.
Whether he lives or dies, he will ultimately be held accountable for his sins.
Seeing Qin Wan in such a state, Nianqi couldn't help but worry. "Miss, don't worry, His Highness will definitely help you!"
Wan Shuang sighed, "The Fifth Prince can't even take care of himself, how can he possibly take care of Miss!"
"Who said His Highness can't even take care of himself? That means you don't understand His Highness, His Highness..."
"Stop talking!" Qin Wan interrupted.
The two, who were bickering, immediately shut their mouths.
"Nianqi, where is His Highness?" Qin Wan asked.
"We should be at the Fifth Prince's residence now!"
After hearing this, Qin Wan did not respond and got up to walk outside.
The two followed behind her, knowing without asking why she must be going to find Xiao Jingyan.
......
The Imperial Palace.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"You swore back then that you would definitely quell the banditry in Yunzhou, and even asked me for three thousand troops. Now the entire army has been wiped out, and the commander is missing. Is this the result you promised me?" Emperor Xiao couldn't sit still any longer. He stepped down from his throne and pointed at Qin Huai's nose, cursing him.
However, Qin Ye's fate was also uncertain, and Qin Lang had lost a leg because of the incident in Yunzhou.
I held back from saying even more hurtful things.
Qin Huai knelt below, his body trembling violently, both out of fear of Emperor Xiao's majesty and out of worry for Qin Ye's safety.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. My son is not a reckless man. He has followed Your Majesty in battle, and Your Majesty knows him well. There must be a misunderstanding in this matter. I beg Your Majesty to give the order. I am willing to lead three thousand troops to Yunzhou and will surely quell that banditry. Otherwise, I will offer my head as a reward!"
Qin Huai was betting his life on this, but three thousand was no small sum, and Emperor Xiao was in a dilemma.
"You asked for three thousand last time, and I granted it. You're asking for three thousand again this time. What do you take my soldiers for? Playthings? Something I can just bring out whenever I want?"
Qin Huai dared not raise his head; he dared not look into Emperor Xiao's dark face.
Three thousand is indeed a considerable number, but his soldiers had already followed Qin Lang to Yunzhou, and now they had all perished there.
"His Majesty......"
"Father!" Qin Huai wanted to continue pleading, but a voice from behind interrupted him.
Without even looking up, one could tell from the voice that the person was Xiao Jingyu.
Xiao Jingyu stepped forward and stood to Qin Huai's side, cupping his hands and saying, "Father, I am willing to lead troops to Yunzhou, firstly to quell the banditry, and secondly to find the whereabouts of Prince Qin!"
When Qin Ye was mentioned, Xiao Jingyu became emotional. Qin Ye was his friend of many years and a brother who had fought alongside him.
He is now missing and his whereabouts are unknown, which is very distressing for him.
Regardless of what the Marquis's family had done to him before, he still wanted to know if his good brother was still alive.
Upon hearing this, Qin Huai raised his eyes, feeling very grateful. "Your Majesty, I am willing to accompany the Fourth Prince!"
Emperor Xiao rubbed his temples, feeling quite helpless. He also wanted to quell the banditry, but the number of soldiers he had sent to Yunzhou was already countless, and they had all perished there.
This made him somewhat worried, wondering if Yunzhou was not only plagued by bandits, but that there was something he didn't know about.
"Enough. The banditry in Yunzhou is severe, and the people are suffering. I am sending three thousand troops, led by the Fourth Prince and assisted by the Marquis of Pingding, to Yunzhou. We are determined to quell the banditry. If we fail, I will not let them off lightly!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Two responses came in unison.
We left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Qin Huai called for Xiao Jingyu, who was walking quickly ahead, to stop.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please wait!" Qin Huai bowed deeply and stepped forward, giving Xiao Jingyu a deep salute to express his gratitude.
"Thank you for your help earlier, Your Highness. If it weren't for your assistance, His Majesty probably wouldn't have granted permission. However, Your Highness's wedding is approaching, and going now might delay the ceremony!"