Anyang County, Zhangde Prefecture.
Xu Da looked at the piles of miscellaneous bones scattered across the ground, feeling deeply helpless. Truth be told, Zhangde Prefecture was not the main target of the Northern Expedition; under normal circumstances, there would be no reason for the commander-in-chief himself to travel here. However, knowing about the Yin-Shang ritual vessels, he had decided to make the trip personally to ensure nothing went wrong.
The remnants of the Yuan army stationed there had lost all morale, and the Ming army had captured the entire prefecture without the slightest effort. Xu Da then used the excuse of military logistics to requisition various medicinal herbs from the local populace, among which was dragon bone. This act aroused no suspicion, as collecting grain and medicine was something every army did. More than half a month passed; while a significant amount of dragon bone had been collected, not a single piece bore any markings that looked like writing. Still, he hadn't held much hope to begin with, so he couldn't call it a disappointment—just a lingering regret that he wouldn't get to see the Yin-Shang ritual vessels unearthed sooner.
Chapter 28