Chapter 66

In the middle of the night, the Yang River was shrouded in a white mist, with the rushing water echoing in the cold, damp autumn wind. The cold was so intense that it left a layer of frost on everyone’s brows and hair, but it couldn’t extinguish the anxiety in Yang Yanzong’s heart. Upon receiving the news, he arrived at the scene on horseback in less than an hour. It was still daylight then. He personally led a search along the riverbank for dozens of miles, but there was no trace of Su Ci as if she had vanished into thin air.

His men, along with all the fishermen and boatmen along the river, were mobilized. With a generous reward, these water-dependent locals were very enthusiastic, braving the cold water until their faces turned blue, but there was no clue. The swift river and rolling waves could hide many things. As time passed, everyone’s hearts grew heavier. When Yang Yanzong arrived, no one expected him to come so quickly. A Kang, eyes red with anxiety, knelt down to apologize, but Yang Yanzong, in a fit of rage, kicked him hard: “I sent so many of you out, and this is how you protect her?!”

But there was no time for more words. A Kang, unhurt, quickly got up. Yang Yanzong urgently ordered his men to form multiple search teams and mobilized a large number of locals to find her, but she couldn’t be found. They searched all night, covering every possible location, but there was no sign of Su Ci. She had been missing for nearly twelve hours and was officially declared missing.

Unable to find her in the Yang River, Yang Yanzong even turned back to search upstream along the Yongji River, fearing that A Kang and his men might have missed something in their haste, giving the attackers an opportunity. But there was nothing. It started to drizzle in the second half of the night, soaking everyone to the bone. Yang Yanzong’s face was ashen with cold and fear. He had searched all the way back to Yongji Bridge, even personally inspecting the scene, but there was no trace of her!

The cold rain, the dark, rushing river, the desolate wilderness—an unprecedented anxiety gripped his heart. Where was she?!

“Ci’er, Ci’er!!!”

---

Su Ci didn’t know exactly where she was either. She might still be in Yangdu territory, but probably not for long. The two Northern Rong men were unexpectedly good swimmers, matching her skills. They were highly skilled fighters, and while she could catch them off guard once or twice, she couldn’t win in a direct confrontation. Her last memory was a sharp pain in the back of her neck. When she woke up again, she found herself crammed into a narrow barrel. The walls were slimy and fishy, like the barrels fishermen use for their catch. She guessed she was stuffed among a pile of fish because she could hear the flapping of fishtails in the neighboring barrel.

No, wait, that wasn’t quite right. The barrel was actually large, but it felt cramped because she wasn’t the only one inside. They had been shoved into the barrel in awkward positions, and the lid was sealed. The person next to her struggled, and a wet shoe pressed against her face.

Su Ci: “…”

“Hey, hey, big brother, stop moving. You’re stepping on my face.”

The person, clearly panicked, quickly pulled back and apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” It was a young boy, his voice cracking as he was going through puberty.

At that moment, the third person in the barrel (yes, the barrel held three people!!) was startled and tentatively called out, “Is that Sister Su?”

Su Ci: “…”

Oh my gosh, wasn’t that Mrs. Ren’s voice?!

She was shocked, “Sister Ren?”

“Yes, it’s me!”

Both were a bit emotional, “How, how did you also…”

Mrs. Ren quickly introduced her son, “Mu’er, this is your Aunt Yang.” With his cracking voice, the boy called out, “Aunt Yang.”

Su Ci quickly responded.

Speaking in hushed tones, Su Ci explained, “I was moving back to Suiping when remnants of the Huang and Shi families and Northern Rong people attacked us. I fell into the river, and now here we are.”

Through their exchange, Su Ci learned that Mrs. Ren had gone to the temple to pray that day. Being a devout believer, she often visited the temple on such occasions. Her eldest son had accompanied her, and they were also attacked, falling into the Tongming River.

Ji Yuanhao had married early to avoid being forced into marriage by the Fourth Prince. Their eldest son, who was born the following year, was now fourteen.

Su Ci was surprised, as Mrs. Ren and Ji Yuanhao didn’t look old enough to have such a grown son.

Mrs. Ren smiled and patted her son’s head.

Su Ci rubbed her chin, “What a coincidence, huh?”

Yes, such a coincidence made it hard not to connect the two incidents. Now, the three of them being stuffed into the same barrel was proof.

Su Ci whispered, “We need to find a way to escape.”

Who wouldn’t agree? Mrs. Ren was also anxious. They had been captured by the Northern Rong people, and if they were taken out of Da Qing, it would be disastrous!

But escaping was easier said than done. The three of them first peered through the gaps in the old barrel. The barrel was quite worn, with many irregular cracks. From the outside, you couldn’t see in, but from the inside, they could see out. After some effort, Su Ci managed to see a bit. Through the cracks and the moss-covered planks, she saw a glimpse of the river, the dark red sunset slowly disappearing, and a thin layer of mist rising from the water.

“It’s getting dark,” she whispered.

Their hearts sank. They had been unconscious for over three hours.

Su Ci whispered to encourage them, “Don’t be afraid. Someone will definitely come looking for us.”

They waited, watching for any opportunity.

Mrs. Ren and her son, Ji Mu, nodded vigorously. But when the opportunity came, they could only watch it slip away.

The river suddenly became tense. With their considerable influence, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao quickly mobilized many people and fishermen along the river for an urgent, thorough search!

The movement on the deck and in the cabin became frantic. Someone headed straight for their barrel. Sensing danger, Su Ci shouted, “We’re here, we’re here!!!”

She guessed what they intended to do and didn’t pretend to be unconscious. Mrs. Ren and Ji Mu followed suit, shouting loudly. Their voices were strong, but unfortunately, they were far from the shore. The person sneered, opened the barrel lid, and kicked each of them hard in the chest. Su Ci felt like her heart was being crushed. Then they were pulled up, and a cloth was tightly wrapped around her mouth and nose. She struggled briefly before passing out.

The person waited a moment, then did the same to Mrs. Ren and Ji Mu. They were bound hand and foot, gagged, and stuffed back into the barrel, which was then sealed.

Su Ci was furious. Damn Northern Rong spies!

She knew medicine and was familiar with the effects and duration of such knockout drugs. Seeing the cloth, she held her breath in advance, pretending to struggle. She didn’t inhale much of the drug.

Mrs. Ren and Ji Mu were unconscious, but Su Ci remained semi-conscious, though weak. She tried to push the cloth out of her mouth but couldn’t. The spy had expertly wrapped several layers of cloth around her mouth, making it impossible to spit out. She panted heavily, sweating despite the cold. Meanwhile, the fishing boat headed for the port. These Northern Rong spies had likely been hiding in Da Qing for at least ten to twenty years. The man who gagged them had weathered skin, red from exposure, and hands full of calluses and cracks from years of fishing. He looked like an old fisherman, with no flaws. And he was incredibly strong, much stronger than an ordinary person.

As the boat approached the port, they heard the fishermen talking: “Hey, Old Six is back!”

“Yeah, what’s going on?!”

In the middle of the night, the fishing boats were all heading out? Old Six looked surprised.

“You don’t know? There’s a big job! A noble fell into the water and went missing. They’re hiring us to search and salvage, offering two taels of silver! If we find useful clues, there’s a reward of a thousand taels of gold and help to move into the inner city with no worries!”

The entire Yang River shoreline was bustling with activity. People were eager and ready to set out. “No more talking. Our team is going to search the river center. Hurry up, hand over your catch, and join us!”

“Oh, okay!”

Su Ci narrowly missed encountering Yang Yanzong’s men.

But Old Six dared to take his boat to the fishing port because he was confident. Firelight seeped through the cracks in the barrel. Su Ci strained to lift her head and peek through, seeing several young men, clearly their own people, but she didn’t recognize them. This fishing port was very prominent and had been searched once before, so only young men were stationed there. A Kang and the experienced hands were elsewhere, coordinating the fishing boats.

The young men were very serious, eyes wide open, “Dump all the fish from the barrels! Every container that can hold something!”

Old Six nodded repeatedly, calling his wife and son to push out the fish barrels. This seemingly simple old fisherman was incredibly strong. He dumped barrel after barrel of fish. When it was Su Ci’s turn, Old Six skillfully swapped the barrel containing Su Ci and the others with an empty one in the shadows.

At the same time, twenty to thirty fishing boats entered the port. The young men were stretched thin, with fish flopping all over the deck and cabin, covering Old Six’s sleight of hand.

Su Ci watched him switch the barrels, nearly fuming. If he’s this good, why be a spy? He should be a magician and make a fortune!

Old Six’s real trick came next. When the young men’s attention shifted, he emptied all the barrels and placed the empty ones where the switched barrel had been. He lifted the “empty barrel” containing the three of them with one hand, making it look like he was moving an empty barrel. It was so natural that no one noticed anything amiss, and Su Ci and the others were moved away. She tried to shout, but she had no strength, and her mouth was gagged, making it impossible to make any sound. Only faint gasps escaped, unheard outside.

Someone boarded the boat to inspect, checking the air tanks, lifeboats, and other hiding places, even underwater. Old Six’s family nervously guarded their catch, as many fish had already jumped back into the water. They anxiously tried to block the inspectors.

After the inspection found no issues, a young man reassured them, “Don’t worry, old man; we’ll compensate you.”

Old Six was overjoyed, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, sir!”

“Alright, no problems, move into the port, next batch!”

The fishing boat moved into the port, entering the unified fish market. Private buyers are not allowed today, and the fishermen handle all sales. Su Ci’s barrel was loaded onto a large cart, and she watched the dock fade into the distance. She tried to make noise; maybe she did a little, but the market’s noise and bustle easily drowned it out.

In the dark night, the barrel was pulled farther and farther away. Eventually, she drifted in and out of consciousness. The knockout drug was powerful. When she woke up, she was in a different place, inside a carriage, rocking back and forth. It was already daylight outside.

Occasionally, someone would lift the curtain to check on them. Through the gaps, Su Ci saw they were in some remote area, on a desolate road with no one in sight. She decided to play dead.

Mrs. Ren and Ji Mu woke up the next night, still groggy from the drug. Someone threw in a few coarse buns. Their hands were untied from behind and bound in front—the three of them, like rabbits, gnawed on the cold, hard buns. Mrs. Ren anxiously whispered, “How long have we been asleep? Where are we?”

“Almost two days.”

Damn, such a heavy dose of knockout drug, aren’t they afraid of killing someone?

“We’re probably close to leaving Yangdu territory.” She guessed, but based on the journey, it was likely true.

Hearing this, Su Ci became anxious. If they were successfully taken out of the region, they were doomed!

---

Yang Yanzong had the same thought. He was extremely anxious!

Almost three days had passed. Su Ci was likely no longer along the Yang River banks and might even be out of Yangdu territory.

Yang Yanzong had been searching for three days without sleep, his eyes bloodshot, his expression fierce. He paced back and forth along the riverbank, exchanging a glance with the fast-arriving Ji Yuanhao. Both understood they needed to expand the search area and even lock down Yangdu!

But this was beyond their authority. Setting up checkpoints, sealing off areas, and mobilizing troops required an imperial decree!

Without hesitation, they mounted their horses and headed straight for Yangdu.

They first returned home. The continuous drizzle over the past few days had left them wet and cold. Their clothes were soaked, dried, and soaked again without a chance to change. They couldn’t meet the emperor like this.

Yang Yanzong’s residence was closer, so they headed there. As soon as they entered, Yang Yanzong ordered, “Find some clothes for General Ji to change into!”

He quickly headed to the outer study, changing clothes rapidly while asking, “How is the household? How is the old lady?”

Mrs. Yan was reportedly injured but not seriously. Yang Yanzong had been too focused on the urgent matter to ask in detail. Now that he was home, he had to take a moment to check on her. He hurried to the Shou’an Hall in the west courtyard, where Mrs. Yan was staying, not noticing Da Ming’s hesitant expression.

When he stepped into Shou’an Hall, he heard Yang Zhongying’s angry roar: “The eldest daughter-in-law is missing. Of course, we prioritize her!! Are you dying or what? Huh! It’s just a scratch on your palm, why are you wailing? The sons are busy! Try wailing again!!”

Then came Mrs. Yan’s screams and the sound of a struggle!

“Slap!!!” A heavy slap echoed, and Yang Zhongying, unable to bear it any longer, pushed Mrs. Yan away and slapped her hard!

“You shrew, if it weren’t for our son, I’d divorce you today!!” Yang Zhongying roared in anger and stormed out, shouting, “No one is allowed to run around, understand? Anyone who disobeys will be beaten to death!!” He rushed out of the main hall, so furious that he didn’t even notice Yang Yanzong entering through the side door.

Yang Yanxin and Da Ming exchanged glances. Yang Yanxin hurried inside, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Inside, Mrs. Yan’s screams and curses echoed, cursing Yang Zhongying, cursing Su Ci, and even blaming Yang Yanzong, saying he only cared about his wife and not his mother and that raising him was a waste. Yang Yanxin tried to stop her but couldn’t.

Yang Yanzong closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaustion, mixed with anxiety, a feeling of indescribable frustration welled up inside him. His mother was never satisfied, and his wife was still missing, her fate unknown, yet she was still being cursed!

For the first time, he felt resentment towards his own mother.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Yan ordered her servants to bring the two new concubines for her to torment. Whenever she had free time, she would torment them, especially when in a bad mood.

But Yang Yanzong had already left. When Mrs. Yan’s trusted maid went to call for the concubines, Yang Yanzong was no longer in Shou’an Hall. All his emotions, all the household matters, were pushed aside. Everything else could wait; he had to find Su Ci first. The longer it took, the more dangerous it became for her!

---

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao quickly changed clothes and rode out. Before they reached the imperial city, they encountered an imperial eunuch on horseback, coming to summon them.

That day, it wasn’t just Su Ci and Mrs. Ren’s carriages that were attacked. Several officials involved in the Huang case were also targeted, including Tong Jien’s adopted son’s family. There were even fatalities. Su Ci and Mrs. Ren’s disappearance was terrible, but not the worst. An official’s elderly mother died, and he fainted from crying at the palace gate. They had been monitoring Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao’s situation. As soon as they heard the two entering the city to see the emperor, they rushed over without changing clothes. They cried and knelt in anger, but they had come many times before. The emperor had said all he could. Sun Shiping and several young eunuchs had to persuade and support them into a side hall to rest.

The capital’s officials had been ambushed by remnants of the Tongji faction, resulting in casualties and disappearances. The emperor was furious. Two days earlier, he had issued an edict to pursue and capture the culprits, demanding full cooperation from all departments to rescue the missing officials.

The voices of the affected officials were loud and clear, even inside the Shangyang Hall. When Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao entered, the old emperor was rubbing his tired brow, looking solemn.

Without wasting words, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao knelt and greeted the emperor. After briefly reporting their progress, they requested that the area be sealed off and the troops mobilized.

The old emperor sighed deeply, “Granted.”

“Rescue them with all your might.” His brow furrowed, “Handle this special case with special measures. I grant you the authority to act as needed in extraordinary circumstances.”

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao felt a weight lift from their hearts, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Burning with anxiety, they didn’t linger and quickly took their leave.

As their figures receded, the old emperor’s stern expression softened. Tong Jien approached from the rear hall, “Your Majesty?”

Their people were also secretly searching. Should they continue… to eliminate them?

The old emperor shook his head slightly, “Forget it.”

Unexpectedly, the Northern Rong people intervened, taking the situation differently.

Alright then, no need to kill them. No need.

The old emperor said, “Clean up the traces. Also, let them follow and guide as necessary.”

As for what to guide, it was, of course, towards the Kun clan.

Tong Jien understood and immediately withdrew to carry out the orders.

---

Meanwhile, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao hurried out of Shangyang Hall, exited the palace gates quickly, mounted their horses, and rode off.

Ji Yuanhao glanced back at the majestic palace. “What do you think?”

Their search had not found Su Ci and Mrs. Ren’s family, but A Zheng had managed to injure an enemy expert severely. Following this lead, they found some faint traces.

—In fact, even with the Huang and Shi families, and adding the Northern Rong people, it shouldn’t have come to this. There couldn’t be so many Northern Rong spies. This was their initial suspicion, and later, they found some faint traces of the Kun clan. The Kun clan’s involvement made sense!

And the old emperor had been conciliatory towards them from the beginning, even before the incident. His attitude hadn’t changed.

Yang Yanzong’s eyes were deep, with a hint of ferocity. He said calmly, “Don’t jump to conclusions.”

The old emperor was never a good person, and neither was the Kun clan. One was a wolf, the other a tiger.

Yang Yanzong was always cautious about such matters. Even with some clues, it wasn’t enough for him to conclude immediately.

Yang Yanzong suddenly turned back, and the red walls and golden tiles behind him were majestic and splendid.

Still the same.

This wasn’t urgent. The priority was to save her. Everything else could wait until she was rescued!