Chapter 248 -

Chapter 248: Chapter

The carriage rolled smoothly along the quiet dirt road. Inside the warm cabin, a small heater glowed faintly in the dark.

Yueqing opened her eyes to find herself wrapped tightly against Wenzhe’s chest under his thick fur coat. Beneath it, she was barely wearing anything, her traveling clothes had been taken off hours ago, leaving her in just a thin silk shirt.

Wenzhe was wide awake, looking quietly out the window with his arm around her waist.

Remembering everything from earlier his burning kisses and how helpless she had felt on his lap, Yueqing’s face turned bright red. She frowned and poked her elbow into his ribs.

"Jerk!" she whispered angrily. "You said you wouldn’t touch me because I’m hurt!"

Wenzhe didn’t flinch. A quiet smile touched his lips as he looked down at her. "I didn’t touch your hurt shoulder. I kept my promise."

[Kept your promise, my foot!] Yueqing’s inner thoughts yelled loudly into his head. [You took off almost all my clothes, bit my neck, and made my legs feel like jelly! You big bad wolf!]

"You brought Li Mei along with us," Wenzhe said, still looking out the window with a straight face.

Yueqing blinked in surprise. She quickly sat up straight and grabbed her folded clothes.

"Y-Yeah... we need maids who can help us, right? She will work well in the north," she lied, her voice shaking slightly.

[I had to bring her along,] Yueqing confessed in her mind, her thoughts ringing clear in Wenzhe’s head. [She is going to be so helpful in our plan to stop the Empress. She hates that woman just as much as we do! I just don’t know how to tell you the truth... if you find out she tried to kill you once, only the heavens know what you would do to her!]

Hearing her thoughts, Wenzhe let out a soft sigh. He had already done his research on Li Mei. He knew the village his father slaughtered years ago belonged to her family. She was just another victim of the Empress’s evil deeds and his father’s cruel games.

Just then, the driver shouted from outside, "General! We are arriving at the camp!"

"Oh boy!" Yueqing panicked, her eyes going wide as she tried to shove her arms into her clothes as fast as possible.

Wenzhe looked at her messy, frantic scrambling and smiled softly. Reaching out, he pulled her gently toward him.

"Let me help you," he whispered.

Wenzhe pulled her close and carefully helped her slip into her hanfu. His hands moved with gentle precision, smoothing out the fabric over her back and arms.

When he reached the chest section, his fingers tightened slightly. Instead of just tying the ribbons, he deliberately cupped her soft breast, giving it a playful, subtle squeeze through the thin silk layer.

Yueqing’s eyes went wide. A sharp blush exploded across her face.

[AHHH! THIS PERVERT!] her thoughts shrieked wildly inside his head, practically vibrating with heat. [We are literally at the military camp! The guards are standing outside! How can he do this right now?!]

Wenzhe smiled wickedly against her hot cheek, tying the chest ribbons into a neat, firm knot.

"All done, Madame Xi," he whispered in her ear, his voice dripping with pure satisfaction as he patted her shoulder. "You look very respectable now."

Yueqing glared at him with bright red cheeks, slapping his chest lightly. "You... you are absolute trouble!"

Before she could complain any further, the carriage came to a complete, heavy stop. The thick curtains were pulled back from the outside, letting the sharp, freezing air of the northern camp rush inside.

"General, Young Madame," Dong Li’s voice called out respectfully. "We have arrived."

Steping out of the carriage, Yueqing felt the sharp, icy northern wind hit her face.

Lu Yue rushed over to her side instantly, holding out a thick woolen cloak to wrap around her shoulders. "Young Madame, it is so cold here! Are you alright? Is your shoulder aching?"

"I’m fine, Lu Yue," Yueqing smiled, pulling the cloak tight.

Nine stepped up right beside them in his human servant clothes, blowing on his cold hands and shivering dramatically.

[Ugh, this place is literally a giant freezer!] Nine complained loudly into Yueqing’s mind, rolling his eyes as he looked at the plain brown military tents. [No sweet cakes, no hot tea, just mud, wind, and scary men with spears. Host, we are going to freeze to death!]

Yueqing suppressed a small laugh, giving him a quick warning glance.

Commander Guo and several high-ranking officers stepped forward, bowing deeply with wide, respectful smiles. "Welcome to the northern border, General Xi! Welcome, Young Madame!"

"Commander Guo," Wenzhe nodded firmly.

"General, the army commanders are waiting in the main strategy tent," Commander Guo said, gesturing toward the center of the camp. "We have received news from the frontline outposts."

Wenzhe turned back to Yueqing. He reached out, gently wrapping her cloak tighter around her neck, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against her forehead.

"Go to the main tent and get comfortable," Wenzhe whispered softly, his dark eyes warm. "I will be back as soon as the meeting is over."

"Don’t worry about me," Yueqing smiled up at him. "Go do your work, General."

Wenzhe gave her hand a final squeeze before turning away, walking off toward the command tents with Commander Guo and his men.

Once Wenzhe walked away with the officers, Li Mei finally stepped out from behind the heavy baggage carriage. She kept her head low, her expression careful and steady.

Yueqing waved her hand lightly. "Li Mei, come along."

With Li Mei, Lu Yue, and Nine following right behind her, Yueqing headed toward the grand, double-layered tent set up at the quiet edge of the camp. Cold wind swept across the open training grounds, making Yueqing miss her cozy, warm room back at the Xi manor. Still, looking around, she had to admit Wenzhe had taken great care of her. He had ordered his soldiers to set up the largest command tent, reinforcement poles extra thick, to keep out the harsh northern chill.

Inside, the tent was surprisingly clean, warm, and spacious. A large copper brazier burned softly in the middle, filling the air with pleasant warmth. Thick sheepskin rugs covered the ground, and a broad, soft bed piled high with silk quilts sat near the back.

"Young Madame, I’ll go get some hot tea and snacks for you," Lu Yue said, instantly setting down their small travel bags.

Hearing the words "tea and snacks," Nine’s ears perked up like a stray dog’s. "I’ll go with you! I can help carry the heavy plates! And inspect the cakes for safety!"

Lu Yue rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. "You just want to eat them yourself, you greedy beast!"

"Hey! That is pure slander!" Nine gasped dramatically as he practically shoved Lu Yue out through the flap to follow her.

With their loud bickering fading into the cold wind outside, quietness settled over the tent. Yueqing was left standing alone with Li Mei.

Yueqing walked over to the low wooden desk, unbuttoning her heavy outer cloak and laying it over a chair. She turned around slowly, her dark eyes looking straight at the maid.

"Alright, Li Mei," Yueqing said simple and straight to the point. "Now that it’s just the two of us... let’s talk about what we’re going to do next."

Li Mei immediately lowered her head, bowing deeply to Yueqing. "First, I want to thank you for not ratting me out to the General. I am truly grateful."

Yueqing tilted her head, studying her closely. In her memory, Li Mei had always seemed cold and distant. She was actually not as bad as Yueqing had initially thought.

"It’s alright," Yueqing said gently. "I will still tell him eventually, but I would prefer if you went to him yourself and explained everything. You tried to deceive him, so he deserves an apology from you—just as much as you deserve one from Duke Xi."

She stepped closer to Li Mei, her gaze steady and reassuring.

"I know what you’ve suffered, but trust me, everything will work out. Those who did evil will pay for what they’ve done. You will get your justice... you just have to trust me."

Li Mei looked at Yueqing and let out a quiet sigh, her guarded expression softening. "I managed to convince my people to speak with you. She said she will meet with you soon. Whenever you are ready, let me know, and I will arrange a safe place for you both to talk."

"Hmm, no problem... you may leave now."

With that, Li Mei left the tent as Yueqing sighed. She wondered how on earth things had turned out this way.

She remembered stepping into the mission with the sole purpose of dying in the early Chapters. Even her villain points were of no use now.

The plot had changed and she indeed didn’t have much time left. But with the little time that she had, she had to help the two men most precious to her.