The few of them immediately became alert, turning their ears to listen.
The sounds grew louder; judging from the footsteps, there were quite a few people.
Bang! It sounded like someone kicking open the kitchen door. Then, chaotic footsteps came from above, accompanied by voices.
"The seals on the main gate are perfectly intact, and we checked the walls for bloodstains but found nothing. How could anyone have run in here?"
"Who knows? Anyone capable of killing six Jiao clan soldiers is definitely not simple. Check everything carefully."
"You can see the whole place at a glance. It's not like there's a cellar, right?"
"Hard to say. Knock around everywhere and see if the sound changes."
The sound of thumping against the floor came from above.
Zhou Sui had already picked up a knife from the cellar and handed weapons to Yao Ji and the other two, readying themselves for anything.
Thud. A slightly muffled sound came from right above them.
Zhou Sui tightened his grip on the knife. He knew the searchers had just knocked on the thick wooden boards covering the cellar entrance.
"Are you stupid? How could it be there? Don't you see it's completely covered in firewood? If the cellar entrance were there, who would have stacked all this wood on top?"
"Heh, who knows? I'm just knocking. If it actually is here, I'd earn a great merit."
Perhaps feeling it was unlikely himself, he knocked away a few pieces of firewood and tapped again. Hearing no distinct difference, the group quickly left the kitchen.
Zhou Sui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Not knowing how many enemies there were, being discovered would put them at a severe disadvantage, especially with Yao Ji and the other two being injured patients.
Thinking of Princess Jinyang up above, he grew worried again and pressed his ear against the thick wooden board to listen.
Jiang Jin had noticed them the moment they entered. She quickly cleaned up the traces on the bed and the floor, then turned and left the room.
She swiftly made her way to the side room in the inner courtyard. Using her momentum, she scaled the two-meter-high wall in a few steps and leaped from the wall onto the roof of the side room.
There were quite a few people, likely a few dozen.
She lay flat in a patch of shade on the main roof, quietly watching them search the rooms one by one.
She also kept a close eye on the kitchen, just in case they discovered the cellar.
Voices from below drifted up to her.
"This courtyard is pretty nice. I heard it used to be Yao Chong's private residence, though the location is a bit remote."
"It wasn't remote in the past. Many officials and wealthy merchants set up their private residences in this area because it's quiet."
"Right, right. The grain merchant Cao Rui's granary seems to be nearby too."
"Hehe, you guys probably don't know yet, but his granary was burned down!"
"Hiss, really? Was it all burned to nothing? That can't be, right?"
"Of course it's true. Who knows what happened, but the two guards suddenly fainted. While everyone was busy dealing with that, something happened in the kitchen."
"I know about that. Before they could even figure out the kitchen situation, the granary caught fire. I heard it was a devastating blaze, absolutely nothing was left."
"Wouldn't Cao Rui faint from panic?"
"Definitely. He even ran to the Great General to cry and complain, but the General is busy right now and has no time for him."
"Really? Tell me the details."
"I heard it's because of some princess from Dingyang, and Zhou Sui. You know Zhou Sui, right?"
"I know him, the Great General of the Yan Kingdom. What about him?"
"Apparently he was supposed to arrive in Liang City yesterday, but he didn't show up. I don't know the exact details, but someone went out of the city this morning to check the situation."
The Governor's Manor.
Jiao Liang threw his cup to the ground. "Investigate! I want to see who dares to steal my people!"
Guan Jin replied with his head bowed, "I have already dispatched elite cavalry to pursue them to the south. As long as the enemy isn't a cavalry unit themselves, we will definitely catch up."
He also hadn't expected that Captain Zhao and the soldiers escorting Princess Jinyang would all be killed, leaving Princess Jinyang, Zhou Sui, and the others missing.
Jiao Liang slammed his hand fiercely against the table. "Could it be that the brat Jiang Chun from Sizhou sent people?"
Guan Jin lowered his head in thought, then shook his head a moment later. "Unlikely. As far as I know, Princess Jinyang was raised in Yinshan Temple since childhood and doesn't have a good relationship with her siblings."
"Besides, I don't think he has the guts to go against our Jiao clan. Isn't he afraid we'll just march our army and occupy his Sizhou?"
Jiao Liang took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Were there no useful tracks found on the road?"
Guan Jin shook his head. "With the current weather, the roads are dry, and there are so many fleeing refugees. Any tracks would have been trampled away long ago."
Jiao Liang fell silent. After a few breaths, he asked, "What is the situation with Zhu'er? Were Yao Ji and the other two all rescued?"
Guan Jin sighed inwardly. If it were up to him, they should have killed those three in the first place. It wasn't as if there was a shortage of men, yet she had to choose those stubborn ones, capable, stubborn ones at that. Wasn't she just asking for trouble?
However, he kept his expression neutral. "Could it be that the people who saved Zhou Sui came to Liang City to rescue those three as well?"
Jiao Liang thought about it and felt it was indeed possible, but he couldn't figure out who could be so capable.
He couldn't help but recall Cao Rui coming to him crying and complaining. Could that have been the work of this same group?
What was the purpose of burning the granary?
To cut off the food supply for the city's commoners? And then cause chaos?
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be the case.
He began to ponder. How many people did the enemy bring? When did they sneak into Liang City? What would their next move be?
For some reason, a trace of unease welled up in his heart. He ordered, "Deploy more guards to our granaries. Make absolutely sure they are guarded with the utmost care."
Guan Jin replied, "Understood."
He hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Great General, perhaps we should also increase security at the Governor's Manor. I fear they might plot against you."
Jiao Liang sneered. "Haha, it would be best if they dared to come to the Governor's Manor. I will make sure they never return!"
Jiao Liang was a renowned warrior of the Jiao clan, brave and skilled in battle. He had reached his current high position entirely through military merit, and he had absolute confidence in himself.
"Alright, you may leave," Jiao Liang said, standing up and waving his hand.
"Understood." Guan Jin knew that Jiao Liang was in a foul mood and would be looking for someone to vent his anger on. He bowed and took a few steps back before turning to leave.
Piaoshuang Courtyard.
Slap!
A girl of about thirteen or fourteen was struck so hard by Jiao Liang that she collapsed onto the floor.
One side of her face immediately swelled up, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She lay on the ground as if she felt no pain, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
Jiao Liang grabbed her by the throat. "Speak! Did Chen Dalang come looking for you?"
The girl's face turned completely red from the lack of air. When she heard Chen Xi's name, her eyes flickered, but she quickly returned to her calm demeanor.
She was none other than Chen Xi's younger cousin, the fifth young lady of the Chen family, Chen Zi.
Furious, Jiao Liang grabbed Chen Zi by the collar and dragged her up. "Speak!"
Seeing Chen Zi still maintaining an expression devoid of joy or sorrow, a bloodthirsty gleam flashed in his eyes. What he loved devouring most were these stubborn, noble Han women.
Before long, the sound of tearing fabric echoed from within the room, accompanied by the heavy, beast-like panting of a man.
The maidservants standing guard outside the room all trembled in terror.
