Chapter 259 -

Chapter 259: Chapter

"Li Mei?!"

Yueqing’s surprised whisper barely escaped her lips.

Li Mei immediately raised a finger to her mouth, signaling her to remain quiet. She checked over her shoulder to make sure the guards were still at a safe distance before leaning closer to the window.

"Young Madame, are you hurt?"

Yueqing shook her head slightly. "I’m fine. How did you get in here?"

"It’s a long story, and I don’t have much time." Li Mei examined the thick ropes binding Yueqing’s wrists. "Can you move?"

"Not very well. They tied my hands behind my back."

Li Mei’s eyes traveled to the dark red mark on Yueqing’s cheek. "Did the Empress do that?"

"Yes."

Li Mei’s expression hardened. "I should have expected as much."

Yueqing almost laughed despite her pain. "Don’t look so angry. It isn’t as though you can march into her chambers and slap her back."

"I would gladly do it if I could."

"That would be entertaining, but I prefer you stay alive."

Li Mei glanced back toward the courtyard. "Listen, Young Madame. I found a service passage behind the old kitchen. I can help you escape."

Yueqing shook her head. "No. I am not leaving."

Li Mei stared at her in total disbelief. "This is the Empress’s private prison!"

"I know."

"Then why refuse to leave?"

Yueqing lowered her voice to a steady whisper. "Because the Empress wants to use me against Wenzhe. She already asked me to write a letter ordering him to withdraw his troops and abandon Xiao Chen. She believes I am her leverage."

"Then we should get you out before she threatens you again!"

"And what happens when she discovers I escaped?" Yueqing countered. "She will realize someone is helping me inside the palace. She will tighten security, move her captives, and change her banquet plans. We need her to stay careless."

Li Mei looked troubled. "You are asking me to leave you here."

"I am asking you to help me finish what we started." Yueqing glanced toward the bolted door. "The Empress thinks Wenzhe has no idea what she is planning. Let her keep believing that."

"And if she hurts you again?"

"We will deal with that when it happens."

Li Mei sighed softly. "You always speak as if danger is a mere inconvenience."

"I can hardly ask her for a luxurious suite and three fine meals a day," Yueqing teased gently.

Li Mei let out a small laugh, then turned serious. "Very well. I will investigate the banquet preparations to find out how she intends to poison the Emperor. I will also inform Nine that you are here."

"Good. Just make sure you aren’t caught."

Li Mei paused. "Does General Xi know?"

"Nine was supposed to send him a message."

"He knows you were kidnapped. He might be tearing the capital apart looking for you."

Yueqing closed her eyes briefly. That stubborn man had better not do anything foolish.

"Tell Nine I am alive," Yueqing instructed. "Tell him I am in the western old courtyard, but he must not attempt a rescue yet. He needs to keep Wenzhe under control."

"Can Nine really control General Xi?"

"Probably not. But he should try."

Li Mei nodded. "I will send the message." She stepped back, but Yueqing called her.

"Li Mei! Don’t forget to check the food for the feast. The Emperor was warned about the wine, so she may change her method."

"I will."

"Good. Now go."

Li Mei vanished into the shadows. Yueqing sat back on the bed, looking at her bound wrists. Wonderful, over here I’m a prisoner, and this maid is doing undercover work. I should pay her a better salary.

The next morning, the Empress sat in her private dining room as a senior eunuch bowed before her.

"Your Majesty, preparations for the banquet are proceeding as instructed. The imperial kitchen received the special dessert ingredients."

"And the physician?"

"He confirmed everything is ready and awaits your final orders."

"Good." The Empress took a sip of tea. "Has General Xi responded?"

"Not yet, Your Majesty."

Her expression darkened. "Not yet?"

"There has been no reply from his camp."

The Empress tapped her nails against the wooden table. She had expected Wenzhe to panic immediately after learning his wife was captive.

"Send another messenger," she ordered coldly. "Tell him his wife’s safety depends entirely on his decision."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Empress narrowed her eyes as the eunuch left. Wenzhe was too independent and far too loyal to the throne. Supporting the Third Prince made him an absolute threat.

"If he refuses to listen," she murmured, looking toward the western grounds, "he will need a harsher reminder."

At the military camp, Nine paced back and forth inside the command tent with a dramatic frown.

To anyone watching, he looked terrified. In reality, inside his system interface, Nine was completely relaxed. As System 009, he had a direct link to Yueqing’s vitals and exact coordinates. He knew she was completely safe. But system rules prevented him from revealing high-tech map data to mortals without breaking narrative laws, so he had to put on a show.

When Li Mei’s secret message arrived, Nine dramatically snatched the parchment, reading it with over-the-top suspense.

"She’s alive!" Nine called out.

Lu Yue rushed over. "Where is she?"

"The western old courtyard."

Lu Yue exhaled in relief.

Nine folded the paper with a fake groan. "Our troublesome Host doesn’t want to be rescued yet."

Lu Yue frowned. "What do you mean?"

Nine handed her the note. Lu Yue read it quickly, her jaw dropping. "She wants to stay there? That is ridiculous!"

"She wants the Empress to think Wenzhe knows nothing so she becomes careless," Nine explained, playing along.

"Does the General know?"

"Not yet."

"We should tell him."

Nine nodded, stepping into the strategy area where Wenzhe was studying the palace map alongside Xiao Chen and Commander Guo.

Wenzhe lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Any news?"

"We found her," Nine said seriously. "She is in the western old courtyard. Li Mei spoke with her. She has a slap mark on her cheek, but she is otherwise unharmed."

Wenzhe’s jaw tightened. "Who struck her?"

"The Empress."

A suffocating silence fell over the tent. Wenzhe’s hands pressed into the table until his knuckles turned white.

"Prepare the men," Wenzhe ordered coldly.

Nine raised his hands. "Wait! Yueqing doesn’t want us to rescue her yet. She wants the Empress to remain confident so she exposes her final move."

Wenzhe’s expression grew dark. "She is sitting in a cell analyzing the Empress’s plans?"

Nine nodded weakly.

Xiao Chen groaned, running a hand through his hair. "That woman is going to drive us insane."

Wenzhe’s chest heaved. "There is another problem. The Grand Chancellor’s manor must not hear a word of this."

Xiao Chen froze. "Su Yueqing’s brothers..."

"Yes," Wenzhe said grimly.

While Wenzhe was a disciplined commander who could hold back for strategy, Yueqing’s older brothers were infamous for their unhinged devotion to their sister. If they heard she had been kidnapped and slapped, no military order would stop them.

"If her brothers find out," Xiao Chen murmured, "they will be harder to control than you, General. They will storm the palace and burn it down before the banquet even begins."

"Commander Guo," Wenzhe ordered sternly. "Guard the Grand Chancellor’s estate. Intercept every messenger. If her brothers find out, the capital will turn into a warzone."

"Understood, General!" Commander Guo hurried out.

Nine tossed a sweet candy into his mouth, maintaining a stressed face while smiling inside. If only they knew Yueqing is currently complaining about the room service.

Wenzhe stared at the map, his hand gripping his sword hilt.

"Tell Li Mei to ensure her safety," Wenzhe commanded. "Send two shadow guards to watch the western residence from the perimeter. They must not move unless her life is in danger."

Nine nodded.

"We stick to the plan," Wenzhe whispered softly, his eyes burning with resolve. "When the Empress raises her cup at the banquet... we strike."

Back at the Xi estate, the afternoon sun cast long, quiet shadows across the main courtyard.

Madame Xi sat near the window in her private chambers, gently holding a cup of warm tea. Though the room was quiet, her mind was heavy with worry. The grand banquet was only two days away, and the tense air hanging over the capital was getting harder to ignore.

Suddenly, her head maid stepped quickly into the room, holding a small rolled parchment sealed with red wax.

"Madame," the maid whispered, bowing low as she presented the letter. "A secret messenger just arrived from the northern border camp. It is a letter from the young master."

Madame Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She set her teacup down and took the parchment, unrolling it with trembling fingers.

The letter was written in Wenzhe’s firm, familiar hand:

Mother,

When you and the family leave for the imperial banquet in two days, you must all be fully prepared to run if the situation goes wrong. Keep small bags ready and stay close to the carriage.

I also ask that you talk to Father one last time before the feast. If you can get him to change his mind at the last minute and abandon the Empress’s plot, it would help our cause greatly.

Yueqing has been kidnapped by the Empress’s shadow guards. We are moving carefully to get her back safely and stall everything that is going on behind the scenes. Stay safe, Mother, and trust in us.

Madame Xi gasped softly, her face draining of color as she pressed a trembling hand against her chest.

Yueqing has been kidnapped?

A wave of cold dread washed over her, but she quickly forced herself to stay calm. She burned the letter over the small desk candle, watching the ashes flutter into the bronze bowl.

She stood up slowly, her eyes filling with a fierce, quiet resolve. She knew she couldn’t afford to panic. If her daughter-in-law was currently in the hands of the Empress, and her son was preparing for battle, the least she could do was play her part at home.

Madame Xi straightened her silk robes and walked out of her room, heading straight toward Duke Xi’s private study at the far end of the estate. It was time to have that final talk with her husband.