Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 505: Madam Xiao Is Missing

"Xiao Jing..."

Prince almost gritted his teeth when he shouted out this name.

Diwu Fusheng stood there like a person lost in thought.

If it was Xiao Jing who made a move, then everything that puzzled him made sense.

The study fell into instant silence, so quiet that even the sound of a pin drop could be heard.

After a while, Prince slumped into the chair behind him, looking distraught, he said, "It’s over, everything is over."

With Xiao Jing overseeing, and the Chen Army ambushing in the city,

Gan Yao and Xiao Yue being captured meant that the retreat path was cut off, an utter trap.

One misstep could mean the complete annihilation of the army.

And this troop attacking Yi County was all that the Prince had left.

Diwu Fusheng’s eyelid twitched violently, even though he knew the situation was dire, seeing the Prince in such a state, he steadied his nerves and spoke out:

"Though Xiao Jing oversees Yi County, if I recall correctly, Xiao Jing was injured in his youth and never fully recovered, leaving a hidden ailment. General Chu Ce, despite being surrounded, is young and strong. As the saying goes, ’A young fist fears no rival.’ He might yet manage to break through with the army."

The Prince seemed encouraged by the optimistic scenario described by Diwu Fusheng, regaining his spirit, and nodded: "Fusheng is right. As long as Chu Ce is alive, there is still hope to turn the tide."

Saying this, as if to bolster himself, the Prince asked the scout again if he saw Chu Ce in trouble.

The scout indicated that he only saw Chu Ce being surrounded.

The Prince gained some confidence; since the gates of Yi County had fallen, if Chu Ce could defeat Xiao Jing, even if he couldn’t capture Yi County, breaking out should be achievable.

Seeing the Prince regain his spirit, Diwu Fusheng bowed and said: "Prince, the urgent matter now is to mobilize any troops that can be mobilized and head to Yi County to support General Chu Ce."

The Prince said: "Fusheng is correct; I will personally lead the Personal Guard Battalion to assist Chu Ce."

The Prince currently had only about three thousand personal soldiers left.

...

As night fell, the Prince led the Personal Guard Battalion out of Fengzhou, stepping onto the land of Huai State, less than fifty miles from Yi County.

Just as the Prince was about to order the army to march overnight to Yi County,

the personal soldiers encountered Huai Army soldiers who had escaped from Yi County.

Because the city gates had been breached, the situation became complicated after the battle, and among the more than twenty thousand Huai Army, there were bound to be some survivors who escaped from the city.

Of course, there were also some intentionally released by the Chen Army.

The Chen Army knew that after such a defeat, the Prince was like a grasshopper after autumn, and with the news of the defeat spreading, the Chen Army might not even need to act for the Prince’s forces to disintegrate on their own.

And it was from the mouths of these deserters that the Prince learned a terrible piece of news, which hit him like a bolt from the blue, rooting him in place, unable to move.

Chu Ce had been killed.

Gan Yao and Xiao Yue had been captured.

The troops attacking Yi County had been nearly completely wiped out.

Yi County was defended by two Upper-Grade Martial Artists.

In an instant, the Prince felt as though his soul had left his body, his whole being cold, unable to hear the sounds around him.

Despair, anger, fear, and regret welled up within him, intertwining and enveloping him in a sense of vast emptiness, leaving him engulfed in the terror of a world where he was the only person alive, his lips moving for a long time without uttering a word.

Suddenly, a surge of anger and blood rose, making the Prince feel a sweetness in his throat.

Noticing the Prince’s changing complexion, Diwu Fusheng’s face was full of concern, and he hurriedly stepped forward, raising his hand to check on the Prince’s condition.

The next moment, exclamations suddenly echoed around: "Prince, Prince..."

Only to see the standing Prince suddenly sway, and then everything turned black before his eyes, and he fell to the side.

Probably due to a stronger resilience, this time the Prince just fainted without coughing up blood.

In an instant, chaos ensued in the study, with voices from the mansion steward and Diwu Fusheng rushing towards the Prince.

"Doctor, quickly call a doctor..."

...

When the Prince woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day.

Protected by the Personal Guard Battalion, they had retreated back to Jing County.

By then, the news of the Huai Army’s defeat at Yi County had already spread among the troops and throughout Jing County, causing a panic among the people.

Fortunately, the loyalty of the Personal Guard Battalion was higher than that of ordinary soldiers; otherwise, by this time, they would have already fled.

If the Prince, having lost Huai State, was likened to a stranded ship,

the first failure at Yi County and the Li Family’s betrayal had already rendered the ship broken; once at sea, it wouldn’t sail far.

And this defeat of the Huai Army, with Chu Ce’s death, was like the ship collapsing and disintegrating, sinking as it hit the water.

It was at this moment that the Prince’s eyes suddenly opened wide, and he awoke with a start.

The flickering flames on the lamp within the room cast quivering shadows, and a basin of charcoal fire placed not far from the bed warmed the room. The Prince stared blankly at the charcoal fire, lost in thought.

It was then that the steward came in, and, upon seeing the Prince wake up, showed a look of joy and quickly approached, softly calling, "Prince."

Though it was winter, at that moment, the Prince was drenched in sweat, and he did not respond to the steward’s call, a trace of terror flashing in his eyes.

The Prince had been roused by a nightmare.

Upon the steward calling again, the Prince involuntarily murmured, "Chu Ce."

Then, like a crawling creature, he pressed down upon the bed with all fours, saying somewhat frantically, "Chu Ce, where is General Chu Ce?"

Seeing the Prince in such a state, the steward’s expression changed, and he said in a shaking voice, "Prince... General Chu Ce was ambushed by the Chen Army two days ago and has already fallen at... Yi County."

Upon hearing this, the Prince sank into the bed, utterly dejected, as if waking from a dream. Of course, he knew subconsciously that Chu Ce had already fallen, but he had been subconsciously deceiving himself, thinking it was only a nightmare in which Chu Ce died. He wanted to escape, but the steward’s words dragged him back to reality.

The Prince was silent for a moment, his voice hoarse as he asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Nine hours already," replied the steward.

The Prince fell silent again, after a while he asked, "And the madams?"

Perhaps because so many people around him had left, the Prince at this moment longed for familial ties.

Upon hearing this, the steward’s face subtly changed, and he hesitated to speak.

The Prince noticed the steward’s change in expression and quickly asked, "Wh...what happened?"

"Your Grace... the First Madam and the Third Madam are in the mansion, but the Second Madam is missing," replied the steward.

For the servants of the Prince’s Mansion, after Xiao Yunxi and the Prince separated, the position of Princess Consort was vacant. Thus, Madam Hui was the First Madam, Madam Xiao was the Second Madam, and Madam Gan was the Third Madam.

"Hmm...what do you mean by missing?"

"Last night after you fainted, Mr. Fusheng withdrew the troops back to Jing County, and I intended to inform the three madams to take care of you, but the Second Madam was not in the mansion. I thought she had gone out and didn’t take it seriously, but after sending people to search, there has been no news of the Second Madam," explained the steward.