Chapter 609 - 381: Something Happened

Chapter 609: Chapter 381: Something Happened

At dawn, a girl in a vigorous outfit, carrying a bow and arrows, with a short knife at her waist and a black-haired wild boar on her shoulder, descended rapidly from the mountain.

She leapt down from a more than ten-meter-high slope without a second thought, effortlessly as if merely stepping down a staircase, without even a slight sway in her posture.

However, the villagers working at the foot of the mountain were long accustomed to such sights.

The adopted son of the Jiang family knows martial arts, a very strong kind, and has joined the military.

The youngest daughter of the Jiang family learned martial arts from the adopted son and is also very formidable.

Yesterday morning, she said she entered the mountain and returned today morning, yet the Jiang family did not send anyone to search for her.

But looking at that wild boar weighing at least more than three hundred jin, no one is not envious—such a large wild boar, even three or four grown men might not be able to handle it, while a young girl handled it with just two arrows.

"Dad, mom, I’m back."

Her voice reached inside before she did.

With a ’bang,’ the wild boar was thrown by the poolside, waiting for the steward to come and take it away.

Wild boars, mountain goats, little deer, such things aren’t rare for the Jiang family anymore; they seldom keep them, letting the steward take them to sell in the city.

Now, it has been exactly four years since Wei Ziang left.

As the local agricultural officer stated, Liu Qingfeng leverages his direct audience with the emperor since he is in the Capital City, Liu Hongcai entrusted someone to transport cotton, rice, wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, etc., to the Capital City.

Liu Qingfeng personally presented to the emperor, explaining that these are excellent crop breeds cultivated by the Jiang family and have been extensively promoted in Cheng County and nearby areas.

The bountiful harvest the people have enjoyed in recent years is thanks to the Jiang family.

Shocked and amazed, the emperor dispatched an imperial envoy to investigate the authenticity of this matter and, upon confirmation, awarded Jiang Hu a titular Earl position.

Though it’s a titular position, it comes with a court salary and significant influence in agricultural matters, without requiring residency in the Capital City.

It can be seen as a significant honorary commendation.

Nonetheless, the Jiang family remains low-key, continuing diligently to farm; only now the majority of their grain is sold to the court to be distributed as seeds to other places.

Previously, only Liu Hongcai handled these affairs, and there were higher magistrates so caution was necessary, naturally hindering significant progress.

Now, with court officials directly managing these affairs, Liu Hongcai no longer needs to worry; those sent understand the emperor’s emphasis on the people’s livelihood, being agricultural officials, there’s no concern.

Thus, it is effortless and beneficial for everyone to increase grain yield, with the Jiang family only needing to cultivate and plant lands.

These matters are now in the past and perhaps negligible to the Jiang family.

Jiang Xiaomiao never cared about these matters; ever since Wei Ziang left, she practiced martial arts alone, aside from occasionally going up the mountain with Xiaocao, spending most of her time alone on the mountain.

After all, the later stages of the swordsmanship she practices are powerful, and using spiritual energy for other tasks also caused significant destruction.

Under such circumstances, practicing at home is unsuitable, making the deep mountains the best choice.

And hunting became a matter of convenience.

Because consuming spiritual energy in the depths of the mountains always attracts nearby wild beasts, just like today’s boar.

Jiang Xiaomiao entered the house from the back door and suddenly sensed something amiss; this early, her parents should be at home, and big brother and others shouldn’t have gone to school yet.

"Xiaomiao, you’re back."

Just as she was pondering, she saw her big brother Jiang Yu come with a somber face from the front, not even asking how she was, unlike usual.

Xiaomiao felt a shock in her heart; could something have happened?

"Big brother, what happened?" Xiaomiao swiftly approached.

Jiang Yu’s expression was extremely grim: "Ziang is in trouble."

"What!"

Xiaomiao was startled, staggered, almost fell, disregarding her demeanor, she hurriedly rushed up to her big brother.

"Big brother, you must be joking; didn’t little brother write last month that he got promoted to Chiliarch? How could anything happen!"

Wei Ziang may be young, but his capabilities are real, bolstered by spiritual power, gaining merit on the battlefield is not an issue.

Though there hasn’t been large-scale warfare in recent years, frontier skirmishes have been frequent, earning merit is never difficult.

Last month, the family received Wei Ziang’s letter saying he had become a Chiliarch, commanding a thousand men.

How can it be suddenly said something went wrong?

Liu Ze now came over from the side as well: "The letter was delivered urgently to my father’s place last night, but impossible to deliver here immediately due to the city gates being closed when he received it."

Because of the grain seeds, Jiang Hu’s title of Earl reached the frontier.

For the military, food is indispensable during warfare, among others, with Xiaomiao persuading Jiang Hu to cultivate certain medicinal herbs over the past two years, especially those that stop bleeding and reduce inflammation.

These medicinal herbs are rarely utilized by the general populace, so most are sent to the frontier.

Upon inadvertently learning of Wei Ziang’s connection to the Jiang family and the referral letter being dispatched from here, verifying identity was straightforward.

Hence, when Wei Ziang encountered trouble, the frontier promptly wrote a letter to the County Magistrate here.

Only then did Xiaomiao notice Liu Ze holding a letter, quickly snatched it, browsed through it quickly.

At this time, others came over too, Second Aunt crying red-eyed.

It’s been four years, promised to return in five years, even Liu Ze and Xiaoxue anticipated Wei Ziang’s return for their wedding.

Yet now trouble arises.

After reviewing the letter, Xiaomiao’s expression wasn’t good.

The letter stated Wei Ziang led a thousand men onto the grassland, each carrying only five days of water and rations.

Yet, five days later, no contact was established with the unit; the general searched for three days, finding nothing so wrote this letter to be urgently conveyed to Cheng County.

The reason for sending the letter here is because Wei Ziang specifically told the general before his departure that if he didn’t emerge after five days, they should write to his family as quickly as possible.

The letter was expedited, disregarding hours of day or night, swiftly sent with urgency.

From the frontier to here took barely three days.

Meaning, from Wei Ziang’s disappearance to now, exactly eleven days have passed.

Xiaomiao doesn’t understand why Wei Ziang would mention contacting the family quickly if he went missing, but she has no time to ponder.

Her mind only has one thought now: Rescue him! As swiftly as possible!

Delay and sorrow are wasted time; rescue is the pressing matter!