After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 209 Dawn
Duan Zhuo led his elite squad swiftly through the shadows of the palace.

After evading the patrolling guards, they finally arrived at the imperial prison.

The prison was dark and damp, filled with a nauseating stench.

Duan Zhuo held his breath and, with the help of the map given to him by Pei Yanzhi, accurately located the prison where Empress Dowager Feng, the young emperor, and Wei Ziqian were being held.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty."

Duan Zhuo lowered his voice and quickly opened the cell door.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of Empress Dowager Feng and the young emperor, but more than that, they felt a complex mix of emotions, as if they had survived a calamity.

Wei Ziqian clenched his fist excitedly: "You're Duan Zhuo? We've been waiting for you!"

Pei Yanzhi had mentioned it in detail in his letter to Wei Ziqian, so Wei Ziqian recognized Duan Zhuo at a glance.

After a brief exchange, Duan Zhuo led them away from the prison.

Just as Duan Zhuo was preparing to leave the palace with Empress Dowager Feng and others, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded.

The palace was instantly illuminated, and a large number of guards surrounded them.

Duan Zhuo's expression was cold and stern. He shielded Empress Dowager Feng and the others behind him and ordered the elite squad: "Protect the Empress Dowager and His Majesty."

The squad members drew their weapons and engaged in a fierce battle with the guards.

Duan Zhuo was highly skilled in martial arts. With each swing of his longsword, a cold light flashed, and enemies fell wherever he went.
But the enemy kept coming, and the situation became increasingly critical.

At the same time, the situation on the battlefield is not optimistic.

Although General Lin fought bravely, Lu Yongkang's army was numerous and launched a relentless offensive.

He had several wounds on his body, and his armor was stained with blood, but he still brandished his long sword and shouted at the top of his lungs to boost the morale of his soldiers.

"Soldiers, for our country, for His Majesty, we shall fight to the death!"

Standing on the high command platform, Lu Yongkang looked at the situation on the battlefield and felt a strange unease rising in his heart.

He always felt things were going too smoothly, but amidst the compliments from his staff, that slight unease was quickly overshadowed by the desire for victory.

Although Pei Yanzhi's injuries had not yet healed, he still forced himself to come to the battlefield.

He watched the fighting on the battlefield, feeling somewhat anxious.

Suddenly, he had an idea and ordered his men to beat the war drums to signal a retreat.

Although General Lin did not understand why, he carried out the order without hesitation.

The soldiers began to retreat in an orderly manner. Seeing this, Lu Yongkang assumed that Pei Yanzhi and the others could not hold out any longer, and immediately ordered the entire army to pursue them.

But just as Lu Yongkang's army had pursued them for some distance, Pei Yanzhi suddenly ordered the war drums to be sounded for an attack.

The ambushers, who had been lying in wait, poured out from all directions and surrounded Lu Yongkang's army.

Lu Yongkang then realized he had fallen into a trap, and his face turned deathly pale.

Inside the palace, Duan Zhuo and his men were also engaged in a fierce battle.

Just as their strength was waning, a familiar figure appeared.

"Royal sister?"

The young emperor's voice was filled with surprise.

"Quick, come with me, this way."

Lu Ruoyao, dressed as a palace maid, led Duan Zhuo and the others away with her maids.

Empress Dowager Feng was both surprised and delighted. Without asking any further questions, she immediately led everyone away with Lu Ruoyao.

"Ruoyao, what are you doing here? And dressed as a palace maid?"

As Empress Dowager Feng walked, she asked questions. Lu Ruoyao looked anxious and gave a brief explanation.

“Lu Yongkang imprisoned me, and I finally found an opportunity to escape during the chaos in the palace today.”

The palace corridors were winding and secluded, while the shouts of the pursuers behind them continued.

Empress Dowager Feng knew about the secret passage in the palace, so she led her people out through it.

After escaping the palace with great difficulty, Empress Dowager Feng and the young emperor sat on the ground, exhausted.

Wei Ziqian sighed and said, "Lu Yongkang is a real scoundrel, but thankfully you've arrived. How is the battle situation outside?" Duan Zhuo, with a solemn expression, told everyone about Pei Yanzhi's plan to lure the enemy.

"Pei Yanzhi has set an ambush, just waiting for Lu Yongkang to take the bait. This battle won't last long."

After hearing this, everyone felt somewhat relieved.

After resting for a while, Duan Zhuo and the others quickly headed to the meeting place agreed upon with Pei Yanzhi.

When Empress Dowager Feng saw the seriously injured Pei Yan at the camp, she was filled with mixed emotions.

"Yanzhi, you've worked hard."

This time, Empress Dowager Feng and the young emperor both witnessed what Pei Yanzhi had done.

"Your Majesty, you flatter me. Please rest here for a while, Your Majesty."

Pei Yanzhi didn't say much, only this sentence.

After Empress Dowager Feng and the young emperor left, Lu Ruoyao looked at Pei Yanzhi, hesitant to speak.

"Lord Pei, how are your injuries?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am fine now."

After Pei Yanzhi finished speaking, he said no more, and Lu Ruoyao could only lower her head and leave.

At this point on the battlefield, Lu Yongkang's army was already showing signs of exhaustion.

Pei Yanzhi did not pursue them, but instead made them suffer from poor sleep and poor food in the following days.

Night raids, challenges, surprise attacks—they took turns launching attacks.

Under Pei Yanzhi's repeated tactics, Lu Yongkang's army suffered from low morale and widespread panic.

The soldiers were exhausted and on edge, terrified at the slightest disturbance.

Meanwhile, on Pei Yanzhi's side, the soldiers, encouraged by him, were in high spirits and coordinated perfectly in every action.

Late that night, under the clear moonlight, Pei Yanzhi once again dispatched an elite squad to launch a swift night raid while Lu Yongkang's army was fast asleep.

The squad members infiltrated the enemy camp like ghosts, amidst flashing swords and shouts of battle.

Lu Yongkang's soldiers were awakened from their sleep and fled in panic, trampling each other in the process.

After all this turmoil, Lu Yongkang knew that if things continued like this, his army would collapse without a fight.

Just when Lu Yongkang was in a state of panic, Pei Yanzhi did not let his guard down. Lu Yongkang would not sit idly by and wait for his doom; he would definitely come up with a counterattack plan.

Sure enough, a few days later, Lu Yongkang's army suddenly changed its strategy; instead of passively defending, they took the initiative to attack.

Lu Yongkang personally led a large army and launched a fierce attack on Pei Yanzhi's camp.

Pei Yanzhi was prepared, and he calmly commanded his soldiers to meet the enemy. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle on the battlefield.

In an instant, the battlefield was filled with smoke and the shouts of battle shook the heavens, and blood stained the earth red.

Lu Yongkang's army was caught off guard by this sudden attack and was thrown into chaos.

Seeing this, Pei Yanzhi seized the opportunity to lead his army in a full-scale attack, breaking through Lu Yongkang's defenses in one fell swoop.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Lu Yongkang led his remaining troops in a hasty retreat.

Pei Yanzhi gazed in the direction Lu Yongkang had left, a resolute glint in his eyes: "We must capture him alive."

The morning sun rose from the gray horizon, breaking through layers of dark clouds, and the dawn shone on the earth.

The not-so-brief mutiny thus came to an end.

This time, Lu Yongkang will absolutely not have the ability to resist.

Pei Yanzhi sent General Lin into the city to clean up first, while he stayed behind to discuss the next steps with Empress Dowager Feng and the young emperor.

After all, there are still things to deal with in Tingzhou.

When Empress Dowager Feng heard that Lu Yongkang had escaped in the chaos, she only gave one order.

"Whether dead or alive, there is no need to bring them to the capital; they should be executed on the spot."

The plot has finally come to a snail's pace, and there's no more major plot developments left. I'm going to start writing about romance now!
(End of this chapter)