Chapter 255 -

Chapter 255: Chapter

Nine’s gentle touch kept teasing her soft chest until Lu Yue was completely breathless, her mind melting into total heat under his warm hands and sweet kisses. He held her close for the rest of the night, keeping her warm as she finally fell fast asleep in his arms.

Meanwhile, in the main pavilion of the mansion, a bright fire crackled in the stove, filling the room with sweet warmth.

Yueqing sat on the edge of the soft bed, watching Wenzhe take off his heavy outer armor. She took a deep breath and looked up at her handsome husband.

"Wenzhe," Yueqing said softly, her voice calm and clear. "There is something I need to tell you. Li Mei is on our side. She has been secretly helping us, and she will be our spy inside the palace when the time comes."

Wenzhe paused, turning his dark eyes toward her. He didn’t look angry or surprised. Instead, he walked over to the bed, sat down beside her, and gently took her soft, warm hands into his large palms.

"I know, my love," Wenzhe whispered gently, his eyes filled with pure trust. "I have already prepared everything on my end. Whatever plans you have in mind, I support you completely. As long as you are safe, I will fight alongside you until the very end."

Yueqing smiled brightly, resting her head against his broad chest as his arms wrapped securely around her waist.

Fast forward three months later...

Time flew by quickly. Everything was now fully prepared for the great battle. Thousands of soldiers were fully trained, the secret weapons were stocked, and the underground tunnel route was ready.

An imperial announcement had just been sent out across the capital: the Emperor was hosting a grand autumn banquet in just three days. Everyone in the secret camp knew this was the exact moment the Empress had been waiting for, she planned to use the celebration to poison the Emperor and seize the throne by force.

Inside a quiet military tent near the camp border, Yueqing stood alone near the small table, packing her fur cloak. Tomorrow morning, she would be heading back to the Xi estate to stay hidden and keep up appearances.

She looked out the tent window toward the dark mountains, her heart beating with heavy worry and anticipation. Tomorrow, Wenzhe and Xiao Chen would lead their forces toward the Imperial City.

Yueqing held her hands tightly over her chest, praying quietly in her mind. All she could do now was hold onto the strong hope that Wenzhe, Xiao Chen, and their brave men would be able to defeat the Empress and safely stop the dark storm that was about to hit the empire.

"Seriously speaking... I don’t even know what on earth we could have expected," Yueqing said with a heavy sigh, pacing back and forth across the quiet room. "So the Emperor is actually inviting the entire Xi family to the banquet."

"What else did we expect?" Xiao Chen replied, folding his arms loosely across his chest with a sharp, dry smirk. "It’s a grand imperial banquet. Of course he’s going to invite all the high noble families. The Empress knows this better than anyone, which is why she chose that day of all days to strike. She wants every major noble and minister present when she seizes the throne so no one can easily escape or plot against her."

Yueqing pulled out a small, tightly folded scroll from her sleeve and unrolled it gently.

"According to Li Mei’s letter, getting information wasn’t easy," Yueqing continued, her voice dropping into a low, serious tone. "Thanks to the Grand Chancellor getting a trusted eunuch out of the Empress’s palace, Li Mei was able to work as a maid and slip into her private quarters. She found out that the Empress plans to poison the Emperor right during the feast.

"If the Emperor dies in front of everyone, she will act completely devastated. Then, she will use the chaos to force the ministers to put the Crown Prince on the throne immediately. And if anyone dares to object..." Yueqing paused, her eyes darkening as she looked up. "...her secret guards and my father-in-law are standing by just one call away, ready to draw their swords and slay anyone who stands in her way."

Commander Guo stroked his chin thoughtfully, his sharp eyes narrowing as he leaned over the table.

"If that’s her plan, then we have to find a way to switch whatever poisonous drink or dish the Empress intends to use," Commander Guo said firmly, looking around at the group. "We must prevent the Emperor from dying at all costs, capture the Empress red-handed, and expose her treason in front of the entire court."

Xiao Chen let out a bitter scoff, shaking his head. "That sounds great in theory, Commander, but there’s a massive flaw. The Emperor is completely blind when it comes to the Empress. He would never believe us if we just walked up to his face and told him his beloved wife is about to poison him, especially for a throne that has already been promised to her son anyway. Without rock-solid proof, he’ll just execute us for treason."

A quiet, tense silence fell over the room as everyone pondered the impossible obstacle.

Then, Yueqing stepped forward, her eyes bright with sudden determination.

"I will do it," Yueqing volunteered, her voice clear and unwavering.

Everyone in the room turned to stare at her in surprise.

"Yueqing, what are you saying?" Xiao Chen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since I am heading back to the Xi estate today, I can easily gain private access to the palace under the cover of preparing for the banquet," Yueqing explained quickly, her mind racing. "All I need is a few minutes alone to talk to the Emperor directly. I can present Li Mei’s findings to him in secret and convince him to play along with our trap."

She looked at Commander Guo and Xiao Chen, her confidence growing. "If the Emperor acts like he has been poisoned during the feast, the Empress will immediately begin her grand drama and reveal her full hand. She’ll call in her secret army and force the decree. And once she openly declares her rebellion in front of all the nobles... that is the exact opportunity we use to spring our trap, storm the hall, and capture her!"

Wenzhe frowned instantly, his eyebrows pulling together in a sharp, protective glare.

"It is not that simple to just get a private audience with the Emperor, Yueqing," Wenzhe argued, his voice full of deep concern. "The Empress’s spies surround his palace quarters day and night. You can’t just walk up to him without her knowing."

"Well, it’s not like we can request a formal audience with him while he’s sitting on his throne either," Xiao Chen chimed in, a sly, knowing grin spreading across his face.

"What are you suggesting now?" Wenzhe asked, staring at the prince with a heavy frown.

Xiao Chen rested his hands on his hips, leaning back with an amused chuckle. "Well, you see, my father has this strange habit where he disguises himself as a normal lord or an ordinary military commander and sneaks out to walk around the city. I always keep tabs on him whenever he does this... hehe. Anyway, even the Empress usually isn’t aware when he slips out of the palace."

He looked over at Yueqing, his eyes sparkling with a clever idea. "So when he sneaks out, Yueqing can easily approach him and talk to him without raising any red flags. If I’m not wrong, my father will be going out again tomorrow afternoon."

Yueqing’s eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Then that is our perfect chance! If I meet him outside the palace walls while he’s in disguise, the Empress won’t suspect a single thing."

Wenzhe walked over to Yueqing, taking both of her soft hands into his large, warm palms. His dark eyes were filled with fierce concern as he looked down at her face, his brow furrowed tightly.

"You have to be extremely careful, Yueqing," Wenzhe said softly, his voice heavy with protective worry. "My father’s spies and the Empress’s men are crawling all over the city market. If they catch even a single whiff of what you are doing, you will be in grave danger."

Yueqing looked up at her handsome husband and gave his hands a reassuring squeeze, a bright, gentle smile gracing her lips to ease his anxious heart.

"Don’t worry, Wenzhe," Yueqing comforted him, her tone calm and full of quiet confidence. "He won’t even recognize me in the crowd. I’ll just talk to him calmly and lay out the truth. Don’t worry, he will listen to me."

"Yah! If there is one thing Yueqing is good at.. it’s convincing people." Xiao Chen chuckles.. "and anyway Lan Yue won’t be far from her.. if anything happens I’m sure we can count on her to get yueqing out of there."

Wenzhe sighed slightly as he looked at Lan Yue and ho nodded without him saying anything in reassurance that yueqing is in safe hands.

[Host they are all panicking on how on earth you will be able to convince the emperor.. yet they don’t know you haven’t just talked or seduced the emperor but even slept with him.]

[Shut up NINE!]