Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 58 No bones left
"I finally understand why no one has ever mentioned this matter." Tan Huaike compared it with his memory of the river valley as he walked down. "Even after several months, not all traces would have disappeared. Someone must have been involved to wipe out everything in the shortest time possible, without even attracting the attention of other passing caravans."

"Most likely the work of the Zhenxi Army," Shentu Zhuo said. "They're used to fighting, and they're also used to cleaning up battlefields. As long as they receive orders, it's not impossible for them to clear all traces within a day."

As they were talking, the three of them went down into the valley.

At a rough glance, there was nothing unusual here. They saw many traces of caravans stationed here, the ashes of burnt fires, damaged tents, and the remains of eaten wild animals. It was obvious that after the assassination incident, many people came here one after another, but they did not find too many abnormalities.

Aisha reached the shore and suddenly said, "There's torn and soaked cloth here, and black primer in the undamaged areas... Is that dried blood? It looks like it's been there for a long time. Could it be from that time?"

Shen Tuzhuo squatted down and twisted the blood-stained cloth with his hands: "I can't tell, I can only see that it was cut by a knife, or it could be left behind by the sand bandits at other times."

Tan Huaike felt the cloth carefully and shook his head, saying, "No, this is quilted yarn from Wuxu. The material is also very ordinary. Neither the dowry of the marriage party nor the cargo of our caravan would have this kind of cloth. The other caravan must have been attacked by sand bandits."

They then found some suspicious objects, but unfortunately, none of them were related to the attack.

Aisha couldn't help but frown. "Is it true that there's not even a trace left? My sister, bearing the alliance between the two countries, traveled thousands of miles to Daxuan to marry, and in the end, she ended up with nothing left?"

Seeing that he was a little out of control, Tan Huaike comforted him: "Don't worry, let's look for it somewhere less conspicuous."

Unable to find any traces in the open area along the shore, Tan Huaike carefully inspected the surrounding bushes, paying special attention to the areas where the fighting had been most intense. Finally, he found some charred shrub rhizomes in a corner. The charred parts were very old, some had fallen to the ground and completely withered, while others had not been completely burned and had even sprouted new branches.

"The short trees here look like they were burned at that time..."

"It's possible." Shen Tuzhuo helped her clear away the brambles and looked around. "There are signs of logging and digging here. It seems like the Zhenxi Army was trying to cover up the arson."

"There are still too few clues."

Tan Huaike said, "That day, the assassins first placed poisoned incense in the fire. Once everyone in the valley was poisoned, they began a wholesale massacre, and finally set a massive fire to destroy the bodies. They were so thorough, probably wanting to leave no trace of their origins. However, they left in such haste, and the Zhenxi Army thoroughly cleaned up the battlefield. Therefore, the troops at the border had the most clues, but they chose to keep the news secret."

Aisha asked her, "Can you still remember some details of that time?"

Tan Huaike tried to recall: "The bandits in Sand were also killed by the assassins, but they didn't take the opportunity to loot anything. Why? There were so many gold, silver, jewelry, silks and satins, were they really not tempted at all? Obviously, they could have just robbed them and put the blame on the bandits..."

Aisha said, "No, they're afraid that marked goods entering the country would attract attention. This is especially true of the baggage, tribute, and artifacts symbolizing royal status in the marriage procession. The kidnapping and murder of Princess Mohe is a major event; if word gets out, it's bound to cause a stir within the court and beyond. Humph, they're willing to kill her, but they don't want to take the risk of becoming a target of public criticism."

When the three were wandering in the valley, another caravan from the western region came here to rest.

They heard the leader ordering his men: "You'll have to take turns on night watch in groups of three. Don't let up. My uncle, a merchant, said that although this place has good slopes and water, and is sheltered from the wind and sand, it's also a favorite place for sand bandits to plunder. A few months ago, a large merchant caravan was destroyed here, and the Daxuan army even sealed off the area. You can see how bad it is."

Aisha stepped forward to inquire, "We are merchants from Mohe. You said that the Daxuan army blocked the entire valley a few months ago? Is that true?"

"Absolutely true! My uncle told me this himself! He also said that they wanted to rest near the river valley, but were chased away by the Daxuan soldiers. They gave up only after they had driven them far away. However, while on guard duty, he saw a rider on a fast horse galloping out, traveling in the middle of the night, like a messenger." "Blockade, rushing for 800 miles..." Shentu Zhuo became more certain of his previous speculation. "The Zhenxi Army has indeed discovered something, and they've sent a message back to Andu."

The leader tutted his words and shook his head: "I never thought that even here near Yangguan, the Sand Bandits would still be so rampant."

Aisha snorted coldly: "That's right, just before entering the customs, someone is so rampant."
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The three searched the entire valley but found nothing new.

Aisha had no choice but to start with Tan Huaike again and asked, "How did you escape?"

Tan Huaike replied, "After the princess's death, the assassins' search and follow-up attacks were no longer as thorough. I hid among the corpses on the riverbank, afraid of being burned, and half my body was submerged in the water..."

"You... have suffered." Shentu Zhuo felt a pain in his heart. How scared must a weak young lady be when faced with the brutal threat of death? What kind of willpower does it take for her to stay in the water for so long?

"You're so lucky." Aisha said in a different tone, "If only you and Alan could have switched places back then, it would have been great. She's worth more than you."

"..." Tan Huaike was speechless. She already felt guilty about Alan's death, and she could understand the feelings of a loved one who was brutally murdered. Even if Aisha's words were unpleasant, she was willing to bear it.

But some people don't want her to endure this.

"Are you speaking sensible words?" Shen Tu Zhuo shouted angrily, "Your sister is seriously injured and has no hope of escape. How can her life be precious while my sister-in-law's life is not a life?"

"No matter what, it was Alan who saved her life. I hope she remembers this."

At this time, Tan Huaike only deeply felt the arrogance and indifference of the eldest prince, and did not realize that this man had planted a seed in her heart.

She stopped the two from arguing and continued, "I don't know how long I hid. At daybreak, I heard the assassin say that the Zhenxi Army was coming for an inspection, so they left in a hurry."

"What are the characteristics of those assassins?"

"He was wearing black and masked. I couldn't see anything else. He spoke Daxuan dialect, but with a strong accent. I've only learned Daxuan Mandarin, so I couldn't tell where his dialect came from."

"A thick Daxuan accent?" Shentu Zhuo said, "I'll take you to Andu someday. It's bustling with people and comes from all over the place. You'll know once you listen."

"Yeah." Tan Huaike said everything he could remember, "I didn't see the patrolling Zhenxi Army. I was groggy at the time, so I might have fainted and missed it."

"They must be here to look for my brother." Shentu Zhuo pondered.
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　Next chapter: You can wait for him to make the decision.

　　Thanks to the big guys for their monthly ticket recommendation tickets (-people-)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)