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

Chapter 215 Duplicity
Chunxi draped a cloak over Xiangning and said worriedly, "Miss, judging from the sky, it looks like there's going to be a heavy rain."

It was a sunny day, but the bright sunshine seemed somewhat gloomy.

"Hasn't my older brother come back yet?"

Xiang Ning was also a little worried when she thought of Lu Jiang, who had gone out early in the morning.

What if it rains heavily and my brother doesn't have an umbrella and gets wet?
"The young master hasn't returned yet? Should I send someone to check on him?"

Hearing Chunxi's words, Xiangning nodded: "Let's have someone send an umbrella over before it rains."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of urgent knocks broke the tranquility of the mansion.

Chunxi hurriedly went to open the door and saw a soldier standing at the door with a flustered expression, clutching a letter tightly in his hand.

"Miss Xiangning, General Lin instructed me to give this to you."

The soldier handed over the letter and hurriedly left.

General Lin?
Xiang Ning's heart tightened suddenly; she had a premonition that this letter was related to Pei Yanzhi.

He opened the envelope with both hands, and lines of writing came into view: Pei Yanzhi has disappeared, his fate is unknown, and the situation is critical...

Xiang Ning's expression changed instantly, and the letter in her hand fluttered to the ground.

She never expected that Pei Yanzhi would suddenly disappear without a trace.

"Chunxi, go to the trading company."

Without thinking much further, Xiang Ning said this to Chun Xi.

Before Pei Yanzhi went to the northern border, she gave him a token.

If he is of use, the Lu family's trading company will definitely receive the news.

"Young lady, are you worried about Lord Pei?"

After Chunxi asked this question, Xiangning paused in her steps.

Are you worried about Pei Yanzhi?
She was somewhat reluctant to admit it, but if she wasn't worried about him, why would she bother to find out about him?

Remembering Pei Yanzhi's words, "He is unwilling to die," Xiang Ning lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Seeing Xiang Ning's attitude, Chunxi suddenly wondered if she had said something wrong.

At this moment, at the border of the three kingdoms, Pei Yanzhi, dressed in the clothes of a northerner, sat in a corner looking around.

Before he even reached the North, he was assassinated.

There was no one else but Lu Yongkang who could have assassinated him.

So Pei Yanzhi went with the flow, falling directly off that cliff and following the assassin who was trying to kill him.

The spot he was staring at was the place where the assassins had finally disappeared.

Xiang Ning rushed to the Lu family's trading company. The manager, seeing her looking flustered, quickly came forward to greet her: "Second Miss, has something happened?"

"Shopkeeper, Lord Pei has gone to the Northern Border, and his fate is currently unknown. I gave him a token before; have the Lu family's spies received the message?"

The shopkeeper's expression changed slightly, and he quickly ordered his men to investigate.

A moment later, the man returned and whispered a few words in the shopkeeper's ear.

The shopkeeper's expression grew increasingly grave: "Miss, our undercover agents haven't received any news from Lord Pei, but there have indeed been unusual movements in the northern border region recently, as if a large number of troops are being mobilized."

Xiang Ning's heart sank; she knew the situation was worse than she had imagined.

"Manager, be sure to send more people to closely monitor the situation in the North. Notify me immediately if there is any news."

"Don't worry, Second Miss, I will keep a close eye on things."

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Xiang Ning felt no relief at all after leaving the Lu family business.

"Didn't you say before that you didn't want to know anything about Lord Pei?"

Chunxi said softly. Seeing that Xiangning was in a heavy mood, she wanted to say something lighthearted to lighten the mood.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning opened her lips and then closed them again.

"Some people are not people you can just give up on."

There are too many things between her and Pei Yanzhi that are difficult to explain and cannot be resolved.

Even though she kept saying she didn't care, she would still pay attention to him when she heard news about him.

He said he was willing to give up everything for her and loved her more than himself.

Whenever Xiang Ning thinks of Pei Yanzhi, she recalls these words.

Chunxi pondered Xiangning's words with a mixture of understanding and confusion, but then she saw Xiangning already board the carriage to return to the mansion, so she hurriedly followed. On the other side, Pei Yanzhi stared intently in the direction where the assassin had disappeared, deep in thought.

A moment later, he quietly got up and crept toward the hidden place.

The mountains and forests were silent, save for the occasional bird call.

Pei Yanzhi proceeded cautiously, when suddenly he sensed an unusual aura.

Almost instantly, he drew his longsword from his waist and blocked the attack that came from the shadows.

"It's really you."

Pei Yanzhi looked at the assassin in front of him, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

The assassin sneered, "Pei Yanzhi, today is your death day."

Having said that, they attacked again.

Pei Yanzhi and the assassin exchanged blows, their swords flashing.

The assassin's moves were ruthless and deadly, but Pei Yanzhi handled them with ease.

He seized the opportunity and stabbed the assassin in the shoulder with his sword.

The assassin staggered back a few steps, his eyes filled with resentment.

“Tell me, where is Lu Yongkang?” Pei Yanzhi asked coldly.

The assassin gritted his teeth and refused to answer.

Seeing this, Pei Yanzhi did not hesitate any longer and directly slit his throat with his sword.

Since Lu Yongkang was able to send someone, it means he already knew his whereabouts.

With General Kelin's army behind him, how could he possibly expose his whereabouts if he went alone?

Thinking of this, Pei Yanzhi's eyes turned cold. He hadn't expected that there were still people associated with Lu Yongkang in the court.

After dealing with the assassin, Pei Yanzhi did not stop.

Time is of the essence; we must find Lu Yongkang's whereabouts as soon as possible. To catch the thief, we must first catch the kingpin. If we can capture Lu Yongkang, everything will be much easier.

Pei Yanzhi continued deeper into the mountains in the direction the assassin had disappeared.

Along the way, he kept a close eye on the surrounding clues, not letting go of any suspicious things.

Finally, in front of a secluded cave, he discovered some fresh footprints and signs of a struggle.

Gripping his long sword tightly, he cautiously entered the cave.

The cave was filled with a putrid stench and a strange smell of gunpowder.

Pei Yanzhi walked forward cautiously, when suddenly, a noisy commotion arose ahead.

He quickly hid behind a nearby rock and listened carefully.

"Move in tonight and stop them at Eagle's Beak Cliff," a rough, hoarse voice said.

"Also, Lu Yongkang can't be allowed to live."

Another person spoke in the language of the North, but Pei Yanzhi couldn't quite hear it.

"Who?"

Bright torches lit up instantly, illuminating the entire cave.

Pei Yanzhi quickly hid to the side, and then saw someone walk in.

The man was very respectful when he saw her appear, and the group exchanged a few words in the Northern language.

Before long, they all left.

Pei Yanzhi then emerged from the shadows, lit the tinderbox, and saw the things they had left in the cave.

Saltpeter was piled up all over the ground.

Is Lu Yongkang planning to blow up Mohe?
It's unimaginable how much saltpeter would cause if used on the battlefield.

He dared not delay any longer, and after looking around, he walked out of the cave.

The next instant, a long sword appeared, blocking his path.

“I knew there were still people in that cave.”

(End of this chapter)