I Am Truly Not a Treacherous Minister Your Majesty

Chapter 79: Capture

In the countryside, the fields were orderly.

An old farmer was working in the fields.

For him, the fields were his life, the reliance for his family’s livelihood. Although life was much better now compared to before, he still needed to be a bit more diligent.

However, just as he was tending to his rows, a young man walked by the edge of the field.

He was a young man who looked very wealthy. Judging by the silk and satin he wore, the cost of just one of his garments was probably more than what the old farmer could earn in a year of hard work.

But this young man now appeared to be in a state of panic.

He was followed by a few men who looked like they had served in the military, very sturdy.

This seemed to be some high-ranking official, but to the old farmer, it didn’t matter which high-ranking official it was. He didn’t care what the rich were up to; finishing his work was the only thing on his mind.

But at this moment, the young man walked directly towards him.

“Uncle, may I ask you something?”

The young man asked with a warm smile that made him seem very approachable.

This smile was indeed very friendly, and the old farmer couldn’t resist it. So he put down his work, “What would you like to ask, sir?”

“I want to know, which road is the shortest to the ferry?”

“The ferry?” The old farmer straightened up and pointed to the distance, “Do you see that mountain? If you go through the gorge in the middle of the mountain, you’ll see the riverbank, and there’s a ferry there. But you all don’t look like you’re going on a long journey, do you?”

“Ah, we ran into some urgent matters and need to hurry. One more thing, uncle, have you seen anyone around here today?”

“No, there aren’t many people here to begin with. Only a few pass by in a day. If I weren’t busy with farm work, you might not have met anyone here.”

The old farmer said this, and it seemed true. The area was sparsely populated, and the old farmer had clearly walked some distance to get here.

Hearing that no one had been here, Xia Yun breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now, they were safe.

After encountering Qin Ji’s troops, the rebel army he had formed quickly collapsed. Many soldiers were lost, and in the end, he had no choice but to flee with a few trusted subordinates.

For Xia Yun, the most important thing now was to leave the direct influence of the court as soon as possible.

If he could escape to areas not directly under the central empire, it would be easier to conceal his whereabouts.

Moreover, if the pursuers wanted to capture him, they would have to coordinate with the local authorities, giving him enough time to move.

When he left, Xia Yun didn’t take much with him, just a few large bags of gold dragon coins. This money was enough for him to travel the world, let alone escape.

Facing the pursuit, this was the best decision he could make.

Now, he couldn’t rely on any of his former allies, nor could he seek refuge with any royal family members. Otherwise, they might sell him out as soon as he arrived.

After bidding farewell to the old farmer, Xia Yun and his men quickened their pace through the gorge. In front of them was an open area, with a mighty river flowing before them. The numerous boats on the river made him feel very familiar.

He hurriedly negotiated a price with the boatman at the ferry. The cargo ship, originally used for transporting goods, decided to provide a few extra seats for them. After all, the young master had paid a lot of money.

Accompanied by the boatman’s shouts, following the wind and waves, the big boat drifted downstream.

Looking at the gradually receding riverbank, Xia Yun took one last look at this land he might never return to.

No, he must come back in the future, and he must come back as a victor.

He made a firm resolution in his heart.

However, just as he made up his mind, the boatman’s curses came from the front:

“Damn it, do you know how to steer a boat? Just drifting across the river like this!?”

The boatman’s cursing was so crude that everyone in the boat couldn’t help but frown.

But soon, there was a slight vibration from the boat, and at the same time, footsteps came from the bow.

The few people in the cabin felt a tightness in their hearts and hurriedly looked out through the small window. What they saw was shocking—several boats flying the flag of Da Xia were drifting on the river!

“It’s over, we’re surrounded.”

Xia Yun couldn’t understand. He was just continuing his journey, deliberately choosing inconspicuous routes to travel, yet they still caught up.

But how did the empire know so quickly where he was and what he was doing right after his rebellion and escape?

In fact, what seemed difficult was very simple to Qin Ji. He wasn’t really faster than Xia Yun; he had just prepared a plan for Xia Yun’s rebellion and escape in advance.

All the boats and blockades were pre-arranged at major ferry crossings and traffic routes. Qin Ji believed that Xia Yun wouldn’t get far. With his command, as long as Xia Yun’s image was communicated to the capture teams in advance, the rest could be left to the professionals.

Indeed, it was so. Facing Xia Yun’s ordinary cargo ship, it was really hard for everyone to distinguish it. In the end, it was the secret sentry near the ferry on the shore who discovered a few people negotiating prices with the boat owner.

Upon receiving this news, the officer in charge of the capture immediately followed the procedure given by the Grand Marshal and launched the blockade.

Thus, this group of rebels, including the fifth prince of Da Xia, was completely surrounded.

…

When Qin Ji received the news of the successful capture, he was not surprised.

After all, he had made too many preparations in this regard. If they couldn’t catch him under these circumstances, it would be laughable.

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The news quickly passed from Qin Ji to Xia Yuxiao. When she saw the letter, Xia Yuxiao paused for a moment but finally made a decision:

Maintain the original final handling plan for the fifth prince.

When Xia Yun was brought before Xia Yuxiao, he was ready to confront her directly, even to the point of mutual hostility. However, when he saw her, Xia Yuxiao showed no expression. She simply waved her hand and ordered the soldiers to imprison him in the dungeon.

Xia Yun, who was familiar with Xia Yuxiao, knew that there was a trace of helplessness on her seemingly emotionless face.

There was no way out this time. No one could save him because what he had done was considered treason.