She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

Chapter 401 The Princess is Missing

Zhao Yi's expression was solemn. The fact that the former crown prince's private seal had appeared out of thin air in the cave indicated that his every move was being monitored by someone behind the scenes.

If this private seal were handed over to the Emperor of Northern Qi, it would surely clear him of suspicion of stealing the remains. It might even lead the Emperor of Northern Qi to believe that the remains were stolen by remnants of the previous dynasty in order to use them to join forces with the Great Zhou and overthrow the Chu family's rule.

The Northern Qi emperor would not only no longer suspect him, but would also treat him with great friendliness, hoping that he could step forward to maintain the relationship between the Great Zhou and the Northern Qi.

On the surface, this private seal seems to be helping him, but in reality, it seems to be reminding him of something.

He said calmly, "Perhaps."

Upon hearing this, the general's face lit up with joy: "For decades, we have been unable to find any trace of the remnants of the previous dynasty. This time, we have found a stronghold where the former crown prince is staying. We are not far from capturing the former crown prince."

Zhao Yi lowered his eyelashes and looked at the private seal in his palm, remaining noncommittal about the general's words.

A question arose in his mind.

Who put this private seal in the cave?

Was he the crown prince of the previous dynasty?

If he were the former crown prince, what would his purpose be in doing this? Was he deliberately helping him escape his predicament so that he would owe him a favor and help the former dynasty overthrow the Chu family's rule?

But this move is a gamble on the hearts of the people, and there's no guarantee of success.

Because he has half of the Chu family's blood in his veins, even if he is unwilling to stay in Northern Qi, it does not mean that he will help the previous dynasty restore its country.

The former crown prince, meticulously planning the restoration of his kingdom, would never gamble on an uncertain factor at a crucial moment.

If you lose the bet, you lose everything.

Decades of planning were all ruined in an instant.

If it wasn't the former crown prince, then who was it? And why did the former crown prince's private seal fall into the hands of someone behind the scenes?

As Zhao Yi pondered, he walked toward his horse. The moment he grabbed the reins, something seemed to happen to him, and his usually gentle eyes suddenly turned cold.

He turned and strode over to the cargo wagon, opening one of the boxes himself.

Instead of bones, the box contained several stones.

The guess was confirmed, and an indescribable emotion surged into Zhao Yi's brain. He felt extremely angry and clenched the private seal in his hand.

This private seal was a reminder to him that there was no need to waste his efforts; no matter what means or schemes he used, it would all be in vain.

Because the person hiding behind the scenes not only saw through his thoughts, but also knew him inside and out.

For the first time in his life, Zhao Yi felt defeated.

Along with this comes a sense of powerlessness, being controlled by others.

At that moment, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached.

Zhao Yi turned his head and recognized Jiang Chao on horseback. Jiang Chao's sharp, cold eyes held a hint of anxiety. For no apparent reason, a tension tightened in Zhao Yi's heart; he seemed to realize that Jiang Chao had brought bad news.

Sure enough, the next moment, Jiang Chao pulled on the reins, dismounted, and quickly came to him: "Your Highness, the Princess Consort is missing."

Zhao Yi felt as if his mind had gone blank, as if he had been struck by lightning, and he seemed unable to understand what the word "disappeared" meant.

His face tightened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Gone? Wasn't she at the Prince's residence?"

"I was ordered by you to go out of the city to assist Boss Qin in returning to his residence. On the way, I met Deputy General Sun and Boss Qin and others. In order to avoid worrying you and the Princess, I hurried back to the Prince's residence."

"Who knew that the steward asked about the princess. He said that the princess received a letter and a token, recognized it as Mr. Qin's personal belongings, and then left the manor with her guards. The princess did not return until we returned to the manor."

"My subordinates sent men to look for the Princess Consort and also contacted the spies in the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, but they couldn't reach the Princess Consort's guards either. After some investigation, the only thing they could confirm was that the Princess Consort had left the city."

Jiang Chao recounted the entire incident to Zhao Yi in detail, then added, "The Princess is very cautious; if she senses anything, she will definitely leave clues. Besides, her guards are highly skilled in martial arts and have special means of communication. Now that none of them have responded, could it be that the Princess..."

As they spoke, Jiang Chao sensed the oppressive atmosphere emanating from Zhao Yi and the increasingly tense expression on his face. The last few words rolled in his throat before he swallowed them back down.

I dare not say it.

He was about to ask what the next step was when he heard Zhao Yi lower his voice; his usually gentle and refined voice sounded unusually hoarse at this moment.

"Go back and dispatch men to search outside the city," Zhao Yi instructed Jiang Chao, then turned to the general: "Go back to the garrison and send soldiers to find the princess."

The general frowned: "Your Highness, His Majesty has issued an imperial edict that the soldiers of the garrison will only cooperate with you in hunting down the remnants of the previous dynasty."

Zhao Yi said coldly, "What if the princess is captured by the remnants of the previous dynasty?"

The general's expression changed, and he quickly said, "I will go to the garrison to dispatch troops to find the princess."

Zhao Yi pulled on the reins, mounted his horse, and selected seven or eight soldiers to follow him to find the person.