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

Chapter 217 Reluctant to Die
Xiang Ning's fingertips gently caressed the letter.

That letter, filled with matters concerning the nation and its people, made her deeply aware of the heavy responsibilities Pei Yanzhi bore.

The other page, filled with words of longing, seemed to flow warmly into my heart, dispelling the worries of the past few days.

For some reason, Xiang Ning never heard Pei Yanzhi say the words "wait for him".

It's as if he himself couldn't be sure whether he would ever return from this journey.

"Send a message back and say that if Lord Pei needs anything, he can use the merchant guild's connections."

She folded the letter and returned it to Chunxi.

Chunxi took the letter and nodded in agreement.

The girl said she didn't care about Lord Pei, but in fact, he was the person she cared about the most.

After sending the letter as Xiang Ning requested, Chunxi returned to the Lu residence.

That's all Xiang Ning can do; she doesn't have the supernatural powers to help Pei Yanzhi.

All that's left is to wait quietly.

Crows skimmed across the surface of the Mohe River. Pei Yanzhi leaned against a sycamore tree in the backyard of the trading company, looking at the bluish-gray veins that appeared on his palm.

The poison in the North was far more insidious than he had imagined.

I thought it was just a common poison, but I didn't realize that I had misjudged it.

"Where are you going, sir?"

When the steward carried the medicine bowl into the courtyard, he saw Pei Yanzhi walking outside.

Pei Yanzhi tightened the blood-stained bandage, his grip on the riding whip leaving red marks on his palm. He said coldly, "Take your men and get out of here as soon as possible."

Leaving those words behind, before the steward could say anything more, the sound of hooves had already crushed the morning mist, and the horse galloped away.

The toxicity suppressed by the antidote pills last night is now spreading along the meridians like a bone-deep infection.

He was in some pain and could only use his internal energy to stabilize his heart.

This feeling of being half-dead is indeed very torturous, but Pei Yanzhi can't bear to die.

He was supposed to live to go back and marry her, but now that he's dead, he's seen as a faithless person.

The horse headed towards the place agreed upon with General Lin. The triangular arrowhead grazed his ear, and he flicked his sleeve with a backhand, only to see a rain of arrows fall like locusts in the cold light.

He turned sideways, clamped his legs around the horse, and the sword's edge sparked as it cut across the ground.

He touched the jade pendant on his chest, and his heart calmed down at that moment.

Pei Yanzhi raised his hand to wipe away the black blood from the corner of his lips, and fired another crossbow bolt.

At this moment, General Lin's reinforcements arrived, and shouts of battle came from behind, like rolling thunder in spring.

General Lin arrived quickly, and after helping Pei Yan up, he said, "My lord."

"It's alright, these people are pursuers from the North."

Pei Yanzhi dismounted and, after retreating to a safe place with General Lin, uttered these words.

"This Lu Yongkang is truly a traitor. He sold out his own country for his own selfish reasons."

General Lin cursed in dissatisfaction, and then Pei Yanzhi sneered, "He's not only a traitor, but he also sold his own daughter."

Upon hearing this, General Lin's eyes widened immediately.

"Otherwise, why do you think the North would go to such lengths?"

"He sacrificed his daughter in exchange for strong support, so he didn't lose out."

General Lin took a deep breath and watched as his men forced the assassins back.

"Then what we'll do next..."

"The original plan was to evacuate all the people in Mohe City first. We don't need this city anymore."

Pei Yanzhi's words surprised General Lin: "No, you don't want it anymore?"

“The Northern Wolf Guards are best at fighting on flat ground. Lure them deep into the territory and use the natural passage between the two cities to ensure they never return.”

Since the North wants to swallow them up, they should see if the North has the appetite for it.

They tried to hide in the back, so Pei Yanzhi fought them.

We will fight them until they are willing to come to the negotiating table and hand over Lu Yongkang.

(End of this chapter)