The tracks on the ground were gradually covered completely by the heavy snow. At a glance, the surroundings were a vast expanse of white; there was nothing but the frozen riverbank and an endless forest.
Having not seen a trace of the thieves for a long time, coupled with being cold and hungry, some began to anxiously consider retreating.
"My Lord, did we go the wrong way?"
The man's nose was red from the freezing cold.
"We wasted a lot of time entering the city. They must still be ahead. Keep chasing."
Chang Shiming insisted, so the others had no choice but to struggle forward, lifting their feet that were completely soaked by the melting snow.
An unknown amount of time passed before a carriage appeared in the distance before everyone's eyes.
Strangely, the carriage wasn't moving; it was parked in place, completely still.
Even so, everyone couldn't help but shout when they saw it.
The imperial guard walking at the very front pointed at the carriage and yelled, "There's a carriage ahead!"
Chang Shiming spurred his horse and rushed over quickly, only to find that there was no one around the carriage.
Lifting the carriage curtain, he saw a lot of dirt debris inside the cabin.
He also found a small potato left behind in the corner of the cabin.
"My Lord, there are people here!" A subordinate searching the perimeter pointed at a giant pit ahead and shouted.
Everyone gathered around the giant pit and looked down, only to see five people lying face down at the bottom, motionless, with bloodstains on their clothes.
"Bring a rope," Chang Shiming ordered his subordinates to find tools, while he propped his hands on the ground and jumped down himself.
Turning over the corpse lying on the very top, a bloody, mangled face was revealed to the crowd.
The imperial guards standing by the pit were so frightened they turned and ran, and even Chang Shiming subconsciously recoiled.
After calming down, Chang Shiming successively turned over the other four corpses.
It was exactly the same; the skin on all of their faces had been completely peeled off.
Their throats had been slit, killing them in a single strike. There were no signs of struggle on their bodies, meaning the killer must have been someone they knew.
After hoisting the five corpses up from the bottom of the pit, the crowd looked at Chang Shiming at a loss.
"My Lord, what do we do now?"
Chang Shiming looked around. By the desolate winter riverbank, not even a bird could be seen.
"Deploy more men. Even if we have to turn over every inch of land for dozens of miles around, we must find them."
In the freezing weather, the Hanlin Academy finished work early.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the County Princess's estate. Song Qiming, wearing a cloak, emerged from the cabin.
He walked quickly and anxiously toward the backyard. Hearing laughter coming from inside the room, he unfastened his cloak as he walked and handed it to a servant.
"Sister." His voice arrived before he did.
Song Anhao, who was sitting on the heated kang doing her homework, immediately looked up and called out to her brother.
Song Qiming patted her head and walked into the inner room. "Sister, the potatoes at the imperial estate were stolen, did you know?"
Song Shixue, who was grinding medicine, suddenly raised her hand, her eyes shining.
"I know, Lanxi found out."
Song Qiming widened his eyes in astonishment. "What!"
Song Jinzhao lifted the teapot resting on the iron grate, poured a cup of steaming milk tea, and handed it to Song Qiming.
"Lanxi found the dropped potatoes on the way back to the estate. It just so happened that the guards patrolling the imperial estate passed by, so she told them."
Song Qiming took the teacup with both hands, warming them while blowing on the tea.
"I heard a whole cart of potatoes was stolen?"
Song Jinzhao nodded slightly. "At least a cart, and it was packed very full, otherwise they wouldn't have dropped so many on the ground."
Song Qiming took a sip of the milk tea and frowned from the heat.
"The Shuobei envoy delegation has been gone from the capital for so many days. Who else would risk targeting the potatoes? They are too bold."
Song Jinzhao said calmly, "Carrying one or two on your person is one thing, but a whole cart is very difficult. The thieves must have an inside connection at the imperial estate."
His fingertips burned, Song Qiming looked up at Song Jinzhao, his eyes full of shock.
"Sister, do you mean someone committed treason?"
Song Jinzhao analyzed, "Originally, the Shuobei envoy delegation was supposed to leave next spring, but they suddenly changed their minds and left in a hurry."
"Given Gong Linjue's personality, he wouldn't easily give up on something he wants. Before leaving the capital, he definitely found an ally to do this for him."
"The delegation's departure would make the imperial court relax its guard. Once the security at the imperial estate decreased, their opportunity to steal arrived."
Song Qiming stood up and paced back and forth in the room, his mind in a mess.
"As far as I know, during the time Gong Linjue was in the capital, the imperial estate was completely sealed off—no one could enter or leave. How did Gong Linjue collude with them?"
"Furthermore, there were over a hundred imperial guards stationed day and night outside the Huitong guesthouse. Wherever the delegation went, they were followed. How did they make contact?"
Countless thoughts raced through Song Qiming's mind, and many guesses were dismissed as soon as they surfaced.
After pondering for a moment, Song Jinzhao said, "With Gong Linjue's martial arts skills, avoiding the imperial guards outside the Huitong guesthouse would be easy. Especially at night, sneaking out wouldn't be difficult."
Song Shixue raised her hand and interjected, "Before, when I bumped into that vice envoy outside the city, he was near the imperial estate. He definitely went to scout it."
Song Qiming pinched his chin in thought. "I remember the vice envoy was struck by lightning before the Emperor's birthday banquet."
Song Shixue nodded. "That was still several days away from the banquet."
Song Qiming's eyes lit up in sudden realization.
"So during that time they were exceptionally well-behaved because they knew there were guards and they couldn't sneak in."
Song Jinzhao said with certainty, "Not only that, but after the banquet, they delayed their departure until after spring, which shows they hadn't figured out a way yet. Later, when they had a plan, they found an excuse to leave. In the few days in between, Gong Linjue definitely met with someone."
