Love Lock

Chapter 81 This is inhuman.

In the small town of Songyang.

Zhao Zun, along with Pingchuan and Xiao Zhengfei, returned to the post station dejectedly. Sunlight slanted across the mottled wooden windows, but it couldn't illuminate their gloomy mood.

Inside the post station, Jinju and Zitan were anxiously waiting. When they saw them return, a hint of worry flashed in their eyes, and they forced out a smile nervously.

"Your Highness, you're back. Have you found Miss Han?"

Zhao Zun shook his head and looked around the room.

Has Miss Han returned?

Kumquat and sandalwood also shook their heads.

Seeing this, Zhao Zun felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and his heart sank to the bottom.

He subconsciously reached for the love lock in his bosom. The emerald green jade ring still hung obediently in his bosom, but at this moment it had become his only spiritual sustenance.

They had spent the whole morning searching every inn and restaurant in town and asking many people who might have seen Han Lei, but the answers they received were all "I don't know."

The woman who always had a bright smile and a sweet, playful demeanor had vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated into thin air.

At this moment, Zhao Zun's mind was filled with longing and concern for Han Lei.

Where is she now?

Is she safe now?
Was she injured?

Did she eat her meals on time?

Will she go hungry?

Is she thinking of him at this moment?

Each question was like a sharp blade, carving bloody marks into his heart.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhengfei sighed.

“Your Highness, I think that searching blindly like this is not a solution. Miss Han has that peculiar weapon, so she should be able to protect herself. Moreover, she knows that our destination is Cangzhou, and she may have already gone to Cangzhou to find us after escaping danger. Why don’t we go to Cangzhou and wait for Miss Han? We can search along the way.”

Pingchuan chimed in, "Your Highness, Commander Xiao is right. Our men went to Taoyuan County first, and it would be too slow for just a few of us to search. Besides, the people who kidnapped Miss Han either went to Cangzhou to blackmail Your Highness or went somewhere else; they shouldn't still be here."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun was still uneasy, but he knew that Xiao Zhengfei was right.

If the three of them continued to stay here to search, they would not only expend more physical and mental energy, but they might also miss the next opportunity to find Han Lei.

Moreover, Han Lei has always been clever and quick-witted, and with that mysterious weapon protecting her, she might really be able to turn danger into safety.

So Zhao Zun nodded, forcing a smile: "Okay, then let's go to Cangzhou to wait for her. We'll search for her along the way."

The group packed their belongings and prepared to leave the inn. Seeing this, Jinju's eyes flashed with a hint of reluctance.

"Your Highness, are you leaving already? Aren't you going to wait for Miss Han?"

Zhao Zun gently patted Jinju's shoulder: "Jinju, you and Pingchuan stay here for a day. If Miss Han comes back to the post station to find us, you two can go to Cangzhou together. If Miss Han hasn't returned by the end of the day, you two can go to Cangzhou on your own."

Jinju nodded, tears welling in her eyes.

"Your Highness, it's all my fault. Miss Han will definitely come back."

Zhao Zun looked at the two self-reproaching maids and sighed deeply. What was the use of blaming them now? Finding capable people was the most important thing.

After bidding farewell to Jinju and Pingchuan, Zhao Zun and his companions embarked on their journey to Cangzhou.

They remained silent the whole way. Zhao Zun would occasionally take out the Love Lock and gently stroke the patterns on it, as if he could feel Han Lei's presence.

………I am a lazy dividing line…………The spring breeze in Beiguan still carries a sense of desolation, especially in this era of war and chaos.

As night fell and the moon hung high in the sky, the Turkic cavalry, like a pack of cunning wolves, once again appeared on the northern border.

They were few in number, but swift and elusive, like ghosts, causing endless trouble for the soldiers of Beiguan.

"Report! The Turkic cavalry are attacking again!" A scout rushed into the central command tent, reporting breathlessly.

Cao Xiong was frantically flipping through maps in the main tent. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were bloodshot.

Upon hearing the scout's report, he slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and roared, "These damned Turks are going too far!"

Cao Xiong was dressed in silver armor and had a burly build. In terms of martial arts, he could be considered a brave general.

However, for the past month, the Turkic cavalry have been like wandering ghosts, constantly harassing the northern border. Each time, it was a small group of cavalry, like a piece of chewing gum stuck to your body, impossible to shake off or drive away.

The Turkic raids are unpredictable in number, size, time, and location, forcing him to choose his sleeping time carefully. He always tries to get some sleep as soon as the raid is over.

He's only in his early thirties, but this past month has made him even develop gray hairs.

"Marshal, should I lead the troops into battle?" Lieutenant General Li Gang asked resolutely from the side.

Cao Xiong pondered for a moment, wishing he could immediately lead his troops out of the city to slaughter the Turks, but he was also hesitant.

Each time the Turks raided, they targeted the areas where the Turks' defenses were weak.

As soon as their reinforcements arrived, the Turkic cavalry would withdraw when they had the upper hand and never linger in battle.

If they led their troops out of the city to pursue them, the Turkic cavalry would disappear swiftly into the vast grasslands like cunning rabbits.

If we don't pursue them, this harassment will feel like a dull knife cutting into our flesh, causing unbearable pain.

He now understood that the Turks' goal was to exhaust them and prevent them from getting proper rest.

"No need," Cao Xiong waved his hand. "These Turks are very cunning; chasing them would be futile. Just pass down the order to strengthen border patrols and closely monitor the Turks' movements."

"Yes."

Lieutenant Li Gang took the order and left, but Cao Xiong remained seated in the central command tent, his mood extremely agitated.

Before taking over as Marshal of the Northern Pass, he had served in the Imperial Guard but had never personally led troops into battle. However, he was highly skilled in martial arts and had also studied military strategy books extensively.

He knew very well that such a harmless harassment tactic, though seemingly insignificant, would, in the long run, be a huge blow to the morale of the soldiers at Beiguan.

As for himself, as the marshal of Beiguan, he was helpless and could only deal with it passively.

Cao Xiong was once so full of vigor and ambition in the Imperial Guard, but now he is being driven to distraction and mental breakdown by a group of Turkic cavalry.

Those damned Turkic cavalrymen, they couldn't catch up with them, and they couldn't hit them either.

The soldiers in his own camp were loyal to Zhao Zun, and he had yet to find an opportunity to fight a brilliant battle to establish his authority.

If things continue like this, he might not gain any military merits, but he'll probably die of exhaustion.

He had originally thought that, with his elder brother Cao Ge's arrangement, he could secure a position as a border marshal. That would mean two members of the Cao family would hold official posts, allowing the Cao family to rise to the pinnacle of the capital's elite.

But to everyone's surprise, the marshal's position, which Zhao Zun could so easily handle, was something that was simply inhuman for him.

"Damn it, I really can't sit in this marshal's position anymore."

Cao Xiong felt increasingly humiliated and on the verge of collapse. He picked up the brush on his desk and prepared to write a memorial to the court, requesting Emperor Jing to send a capable official to guard the northern pass again.

(End of this chapter)