The news was mainly circulating among Prince Xia's soldiers, who were all secretly discussing what was happening.
The most frequently lost items were iron pots, with hundreds of households reporting their pots missing.
Despite so many iron pots disappearing, no trace had been found within the city.
The city guards had not seen any suspicious vehicles or individuals recently.
Moreover, the number of civilians entering and exiting the city lately, mostly to search for relatives, was very small, as most people had frozen to death.
If a band of thieves had stolen such a large quantity of ironware and hidden it in the city, it would be nearly impossible given the sheer volume.
Transporting it out of the city was even more improbable; how many carts and ox-drawn wagons would that require? It would be discovered immediately.
Vanishing without a trace, it must have been the work of the Flying Divine Thieves.
The soldiers' hushed rumors about the Flying Divine Thieves were subsequently reported.
When Prince Xia received this news, he was still lamenting the plundering of his gold and coal mines.
On the third day of the extreme cold, Prince Xia dispatched a troop to Jins Mountain to investigate the disaster.
The result shocked him.
Aside from all the personnel on the mountain freezing to death, the newly extracted coal and freshly cast gold bars had all vanished without a trace.
Most peculiar was the absence of any evidence of carts or wagons used for transport at the scene.
To move such a large quantity of coal and gold bars, wouldn't a considerable number of vehicles be needed?
Prince Xia sent his most capable subordinate to investigate the scene again, but they were baffled.
While enraged, Prince Xia ordered the constables to continue the investigation.
He refused to believe that so much coal and gold bars could simply disappear.
They couldn't have been transported away, nor could they have gone far; they must be hidden somewhere in a nearby mountain nook.
Therefore, he dispatched an additional 500 men, centering their search around the gold and coal mines, expanding outwards. He couldn't believe that so much coal and gold bars could vanish completely without leaving even a sliver of a clue.
Previously, he had attributed it to insufficient manpower, but he never expected his capable subordinates, one after another, to return and report that there were indeed no traces at the scene, nor any news of the missing coal and gold bars.
Connecting this with the recent disappearance of iron pots in the city, Prince Xia felt that a mysterious force was driving these events.
The modus operandi was so similar; perhaps, both incidents were committed by the same group of people.
New personnel were assigned to manage the aftermath of the gold and coal mines, and a new round of mining commenced. However, the lost coal and gold bars became a heavy burden weighing on Prince Xia's chest.
With all these incidents occurring simultaneously, Prince Xia felt a chill run down his spine. He could only order increased patrol efforts.
As night fell, inside the Prince's manor, all the side rooms were as warm as spring. For a major coal mine owner like him, there was certainly no shortage of fuel for heating.
Steward Zheng cautiously brought a bowl of ginseng soup. Such tasks could have been handled by a maid, but ever since Steward Zheng was entrusted with greater responsibility, he personally served soup and water daily.
Prince Xia took a sip of the stewed ginseng soup and asked:
"How did it go with your visit to Physician Gu?"
"Your Highness, I was just about to report. Today we went to the foot of Cliff Mountain and saw that the entire path leading up to it had frozen into an ice slide. Our men couldn't ascend at all.
We did try; after climbing two or three meters, we fell. Zhang San and Liu Wu both broke their arms and legs."
"Alas, the extreme cold arrived too suddenly, catching many off guard. Physician Gu likely couldn't escape it either.
Alas, what a pity. His medical skills were divine; I had hoped he could assist in the relief efforts for the disaster victims!"
Prince Xia sighed softly.
The scars on his leg and arm had healed, but the new skin would occasionally feel itchy.
Especially when the indoor heating system was on, the dry air and friction from his clothes made the itchiness unbearable.
Seeing Prince Xia's hands tremble slightly, Steward Zheng obsequiously said:
"Your Highness, I obtained a jar of snake oil balm, said to nourish new skin. Would you like me to apply some for you to try?"
"Yes."
Prince Xia nodded and removed his outer robe, exposing the bright red new flesh on his left arm.
The scar was rather large and quite striking.
Steward Zheng carefully applied the snake oil balm to Prince Xia, and also to the scar on his leg.
Prince Xia found it much more comfortable; the new skin was no longer itchy and felt moisturized. He then said:
"You should still keep an eye on Physician Gu's situation. If it's possible to ascend, have someone go up and check. Physician Gu has saved my life."
After speaking, he took another few sips of the ginseng soup.
Although Prince Xia's words were not a reprimand, Steward Zheng felt a chill down his back.
He sensed that Prince Xia might be implying he hadn't performed his duties effectively.
What were Zhang San and Liu Wu? So what if they broke their legs? But Physician Gu was Prince Xia's life-saver.
He had only circled at the foot of the mountain and, seeing the ice slide, had retreated.
In reality, there might have been ways to ascend the mountain, and he had indeed fallen short. He felt uneasy and quickly said:
"I will go and explore again tomorrow, Your Highness, to see if there's any chance to get up the mountain."
After Steward Zheng withdrew, the Princess entered the room. Her pregnancy was showing, and thankfully, the extreme cold had not affected her quality of life.
The Princess said with worry:
"Your Highness, three of our imperial physicians froze to death. We still have some medicinal herbs, but the better doctors are all gone. What will happen when I give birth?"
"Alas, that's why I sent Steward Zheng to search for Physician Gu. I heard he could even surgically remove and restore the rotten intestines of Deputy Commander Cui. His medical skills are truly divine."
After speaking, Prince Xia subconsciously glanced at the Princess's belly.
The Princess felt a pang of fear. Was he thinking of a cesarean section? Would that even be survivable?
The Princess mustered her courage and said, "Deputy Commander Cui's intestines were rotten, but can a baby be delivered?"
"Haha, my dear, don't worry. If you and the baby are in trouble, I will prioritize the mother,"
Prince Xia quickly reassured the Princess.
A young couple grows old together. He was initially attracted to the Princess for her beauty.
Unexpectedly, when he was gravely ill and near death, the Princess stayed by his side, found Physician Gu, and saved his life. From then on, Prince Xia viewed the Princess in a new light.
As for sons, he had plenty; what he lacked was a woman who was dear to his heart and loyal.
Hearing the Prince's words, the Princess breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face. The Prince cared for her, which was more important than anything. She said:
"Physician Gu's medical skills are superb, and his virtue is boundless. Heaven will surely bless him with safety."
Following the Prince's orders, Steward Zheng, early the next morning, assembled 20 elite soldiers and headed to the foot of Cliff Mountain.
However, upon seeing the icy slope of Cliff Mountain, even the soldiers most skilled in climbing frowned, saying with difficulty:
"Master Zheng, this ice slope is as slippery as a mirror. Even if we manage to climb two or three meters, the remaining twenty-plus meters above have no footholds, and we're likely to slide down and fall to our deaths."