Marrying a concubine and swallowing her dowry? The mistress turns around and marries a high-ranking

Chapter 728

Qianyuan Hall.

Consort Yu paced anxiously back and forth in the main hall, while Feng Qinhe, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stood by the railing outside the hall, gazing at the distant flames, his brows furrowed.

Despite the Imperial Guards' tight security, the Eastern Depot's agents still managed to sneak into the palace. Now that all the hostages have been rescued, the only chance is that these people haven't escaped the capital yet, and we can roughly guess the direction of the secret passage. Feng Qinhe has already dispatched the Imperial Guards to intercept them.

On the other side, the Shen family army is launching a major offensive against the capital. Shen Wei has brought a total of 80,000 troops, while the entire Imperial Guard only numbers 30,000. They simply cannot hold out for long.

If the Imperial Guards can capture all the hostages before the Shen family army breaches the capital, then Consort Yu and Feng Qinhe will still have a chance to negotiate; otherwise, they will face certain death.

Feng Qinhe had a crush on Consort Yu since he was a teenager. At that time, Consort Yu was the daughter of a humble family, but she was quite famous in the capital because of her stunning beauty.

When she was about to turn fifteen, Feng Qinhe wanted his family to propose marriage. But that same year, she entered the palace through the imperial concubine selection and quickly gained the emperor's favor. Feng Qinhe missed his chance with her forever, and could only bury his deepest love in his heart from then on.

Consort Yu rose through the ranks to become a Noble Consort. She knew of Feng Qinhe's affection for her, but she never showed him any affection. Feng Qinhe knew she was like the moon in the sky, unattainable, and dared not harbor any thoughts of overstepping his bounds.

The two had been living peacefully together, but when Consort Yu learned that the emperor intended to make Consort Jing empress and the young prince crown prince, she was unwilling to accept it and took the biggest gamble: murdering the emperor and usurping the throne.

She used Feng Qinhe's years of affection for her to seduce him and persuade him to help her launch a palace coup, which she actually succeeded in.

Feng Qinhe agreed to Yu Guifei's request because he had developed a deep-rooted obsession with her throughout his life. Now that he could finally get the woman he had dreamed of for half his life, he made such an impulsive decision in a moment of passion.

By now, Feng Qinhe had fully regained his senses. Consort Yu wasn't actually that important to him. The chances of their rebellion succeeding were slim, but failure would be catastrophic. He originally held the high position of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, possessing power, influence, and a happy family; there was truly no need for him to do something so reckless with Consort Yu.

But now there's no turning back. No matter how much he regrets it, he can only grit his teeth and move forward.

As Feng Qinhe watched the rockets rising into the distance, used to send signals, his expression grew increasingly grim.

A general from the Imperial Guards rushed forward, and Feng Qinhe suddenly turned around.

"How's it going? Have you caught the hostage?"

The Imperial Guard general reported, "General, we have discovered the location of the secret passage and are sending men to intercept it. However, the members of the Eastern Depot are all highly skilled in martial arts, and we need more troops; otherwise, we fear we won't be able to stop them..."

Consort Yu, who was nearby, also heard this and frowned as she came over and said, "The Shen family army is almost at the palace. If we send more troops out, we won't be able to hold the palace!"

Feng Qinhe's face was grim. After only a moment's hesitation, he said to the Imperial Guard general, "Send a thousand men over there. You must stop the hostages!"

With hostages in hand, they had a sliver of hope for survival. Otherwise, even if the entire Imperial Guard was used to defend against the Shen family army's attack, they would eventually be overwhelmed.

......

Outside the palace.

Shen Lingjun and her group exited the secret passage and escaped from the Rong family mansion. By this time, most of the people had already scattered, and she only had a few scattered people with her: the unconscious Wen Shi, the talisman master Yan whose fate was unknown, and several experts from the Eastern Depot, including Ye Huaichi.

Just as they stepped out of the Rong Residence, a large, rapid sound of footsteps approached. Squads of Imperial Guards quickly surrounded them in the streets and alleys, while numerous elite palace guards also closed in from the rooftops.

They were discovered.

Ye Huaichi was now covered in a mess, with dust and bloodstains indistinguishable. He wiped his face haphazardly and looked around, his expression growing increasingly grim.

The Imperial Guards halted around them, bows drawn and arrows nocked, the arrowheads blazing with fire, illuminating the streets. Numerous muskets and flintlock pistols were also present, their dark muzzles pointed directly at them.

The leading Imperial Guard general gathered his strength and raised his voice, shouting:

"You are surrounded! Surrender now and you may save your lives, otherwise you will be riddled with bullets!"

On Shen Lingjun's side, no one said a word.

There were fewer than ten of them, and several of them were not very skilled in combat. Surrounded like this, they had no chance of resistance. If the Imperial Guards unleashed a barrage of arrows and bullets, they wouldn't even be able to escape.

But it's impossible for him to obediently hand himself over to the Imperial Guards; otherwise, all his previous efforts would have been in vain.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, suddenly, flashes of light appeared, and several cannonballs landed in the ranks of the Imperial Guards!

The deafening explosions echoed through the night sky, and huge fireballs shot into the air, scattering the Imperial Guards into chaos.

Shen Lingjun suddenly turned around to look.

It's impossible for Shen's army to have already attacked this place. Who has such strong firepower?

Amidst the billowing smoke and flickering flames, she immediately spotted a familiar figure standing atop the highest point of the roof.

It was Mo Zhonggui who arrived!