northernbook Chapter 1739 Identity, it’s actually him!
Chapter 1739 Identity, it’s actually him!
"Search! Search carefully for me!"
Chu Ning's stern voice echoed in the camp: "Don't let go of a single inch of this place!"
Following the emperor's order, hundreds of elite Chu soldiers immediately dispersed and began a carpet search of the entire camp.
Soldiers held torches, lighting up the entire camp like daylight. They searched through boxes and even straw piles, determined to find any possible clues.
Zhao Yu personally led people to search the residence of the leading strong man.
This is a room that is much larger than other tents. It looks ordinary from the outside, but it is a different world inside.
When I opened the curtain, a strong smell of alcohol mixed with the smell of leather hit me in the face.
"Search carefully," Zhao Yu said solemnly, "especially the secret compartments and mezzanines."
The soldiers sprang into action. A young soldier, while checking his bed, suddenly discovered that the bed board was somewhat loose.
He lifted it up with force, revealing a secret compartment. Inside were dozens of letters neatly stacked, all sealed tightly with wax.
"General! We've found something here!"
Zhao Yu walked over quickly, picked up one of the letters and looked at it carefully.
The envelope was stamped with an exquisite seal. Although it had been deliberately worn, it was still recognizable as the dragon-patterned seal used exclusively by the Han royal family.
At the same time, another team of soldiers made a major discovery while checking a wooden box in the corner of the house.
When they pried open the lock and opened the lid, everyone was shocked by the scene before them.
The box was filled with gold and silver ingots, as well as various precious jewellery.
In the light of the torches, the treasures gleamed with a dazzling brilliance.
"Oh my God, how much silver is this worth!" a soldier couldn't help but exclaimed.
What was even more surprising was that in other boxes, they found a large number of fine weapons and armor, all of which were brand new and shiny, and were obviously made recently.
Zhao Yu's face was solemn. He immediately ordered people to sort out all the things they found and report to Chu Ning in person.
"Your Majesty, here are some letters that were found."
Zhao Yu bowed and presented the stack of letters with both hands. "There is also a large amount of gold and silver treasures in the house. We are currently counting them. Our preliminary estimate is that there are more than 100,000 taels of silver alone."
Chu Ning narrowed his eyes and reached out to take the letter.
He casually opened the top letter and scanned it quickly. Soon, a sneer appeared on his lips.
"This is a letter written to him by Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty!" Chu Ning's voice was icy cold.
Xun Yu, who was standing by, had a pale expression when he heard this: "Could it be that this army was secretly trained by Liu Che?"
Chu Ning shook his head and continued to read other letters. "This group of soldiers are former Wei soldiers. They are worried about being liquidated by me, so they have been hiding here. They usually pretend to be bandits."
His fingers tapped lightly on the letter paper. "But they were unwilling to disappear into obscurity, so they secretly contacted the Han Dynasty. Liu Che took this very seriously and wrote to them personally, also providing them with a large amount of gold and silver."
Xun Yu's expression grew increasingly grim. "I never thought there was such a large army hidden in Wei. If it hadn't been discovered by Your Majesty this time, once they continued to grow in strength, they would have become a huge threat to our dynasty!"
Chu Ning snorted coldly, pulled out a map from the letter and spread it out: "What's more troublesome is that there are several other robbers like this."
"Look, the locations of several other strongholds are marked on this map."
Xun Yu took a closer look and immediately gasped.
The map clearly marks the locations of five secret camps, all hidden in deep mountains and forests, forming an encirclement.
Cold sweat oozed from his forehead, and he quickly knelt down to apologize: "I have failed in my duty and allowed these thieves to grow stronger under my nose. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Chu Ning reached out and helped Xun Yu up. "This matter has nothing to do with you. These remnants of the former Wei Dynasty are hiding too deeply, and they also have Liu Che's secret support. It's not your fault that you can't find them."
He turned his gaze to the dark night outside the camp: "However, now that we have found a clue, the rest of the cleanup work will be left to you."
Xun Yu immediately straightened his back and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely catch these thieves in one fell swoop!"
"I will let Zhao Yu stay and cooperate with you."
Chu Ning said, turning to Zhao Yu: "You take three thousand elite soldiers to assist Lord Xun, and make sure to eliminate all these strongholds."
Zhao Yu clasped his fists and accepted the order: "I obey your command!"
Chu Ning explained some details in detail, then turned to Sun Simiao, who had been standing quietly beside him.
"Prince Zhao's condition is not optimistic. Doctor Sun, please accompany me to Qingcheng immediately."
Sun Simiao quickly bowed and said, "I will do my utmost to treat His Highness Prince Zhao."
At this time, the sky was already turning pale.
Chu Ning did not delay any longer and quickly left the camp with Sun Simiao and a group of elite cavalry.
The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, leaving behind only the mess on the ground and the lingering smoke.
Xun Yu looked at the emperor's departing back, then turned to Zhao Yu and said, "General Zhao, there is no time to lose. Let's get started now."
Zhao Yu nodded and immediately began to deploy troops.
The soldiers packed and sealed the seized gold, silver and treasures, preparing to transport them back to the city.
Those letters and maps were carefully kept as important basis for subsequent actions.
In the morning light, the flags of Chu State fluttered above the camp.
This night's action not only wiped out a rebel army, but also uncovered a larger conspiracy.
Xun Yu knew that the real contest had just begun.
At dawn, the camp was filled with the lingering smell of gunpowder.
Xun Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on Wang Dachuan who was standing beside him.
The hunter seemed a little embarrassed at the moment. His rough fingers kept rubbing the corners of his clothes, but his eyes glanced at the heavy wooden box on the ground from time to time.
"Wang Dachuan."
Xun Yu suddenly spoke, his voice neither hurried nor slow: "You did a good job today."
Wang Dachuan quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for the compliment, sir. I was just doing my duty."
Xun Yu raised the corner of his mouth slightly and waved his right hand gently.
Two soldiers immediately came forward carrying a mahogany box and placed it in front of Wang Dachuan with a "bang".
The lid of the box was half open, and white silver ingots were neatly stacked inside, sparkling with an attractive luster in the morning light.
"The one thousand taels I promised you are here." Xun Yu said lightly.
Wang Dachuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and an expression of joy that was hard to conceal appeared on his dark face.
He rubbed his hands and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you very much, sir! Thank you very much, sir!"
As he said this, he was about to go forward and pick up the box.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the box, Xun Yu suddenly reached out to stop him.
Wang Dachuan was stunned and looked up in confusion, meeting Xun Yu's bottomless eyes.
"Do you want to continue earning money?" Xun Yu's voice was very soft, but it made Wang Dachuan tense up.
"What do you mean, sir?" Wang Dachuan swallowed and asked cautiously.
Xun Yu took out a sheepskin map from his sleeve and slowly unfolded it in front of Wang Dachuan.
There were only five red dots marked on it, scattered among the surrounding mountains.
"There are five more camps hidden in the surrounding mountains."
Xun Yu tapped his finger lightly on the map: "I need you to help me find them."
Wang Dachuan's Adam's apple rolled and beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead.
He stared at the map for a long while, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his back, and said, "I'm happy to help!"
Xun Yu nodded with satisfaction and put the map away again. "Very good. After this is done, I will not treat you unfairly."
His eyes were meaningful: "You are a smart man, you should understand what this means."
"Thank you for your cultivation, sir!"
Wang Dachuan clasped his fists and saluted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I'll get ready right away. I'll make sure we find the thieves' lair as soon as possible!"
Xun Yu nodded slightly and signaled the soldiers to hand the silver box to Wang Dachuan.
When he received the heavy silver, a smile appeared on Wang Dachuan's face again, but this time, the smile was mixed with a hint of expectation for the future.