Chapter 258 -

Chapter 258: Chapter

Li Mei stood frozen inside the small, dimly lit storage room, staring at the small pile of gray ashes inside the tea stove.

The message was gone, but its words burned brightly in her mind.

The western old courtyard.

There was no doubt about it, that was where Yueqing was being held. The location was hidden behind a row of abandoned buildings, heavily guarded, and far away from the busy parts of the palace. It was the perfect place for the Empress to lock someone away without attracting the attention of the Emperor’s personal attendants.

Knowing where Yueqing was, however, was only half the battle.

Li Mei carefully adjusted her long silk sleeves, picked up her empty wooden tea tray, and took a slow, deep breath.

[Think carefully, Li Mei,] she warned herself. [If you rush in blindly and get caught, you won’t be able to help anyone. Worse, the Empress will find out you are working with Young Madame.]

She stepped out of the quiet storage room and returned to the main corridor, keeping her head low and her face calm.

A senior palace maid was standing near the entrance of the courtyard, her sharp eyes inspecting every servant who walked past.

"Li Mei," the woman called out sternly.

Li Mei stopped immediately, bowing her head politely. "Yes, Sister?"

"Why did you take so long to return with the tea?" the maid asked, frowning. "Her Majesty is waiting."

"My apologies, Sister," Li Mei answered softly, her voice filled with polite deference. "One of the teacups chipped while I was arranging the tray, so I had to go back to the pantry to replace it."

The older maid looked her up and down before taking the tray from her hands. "Her Majesty has been in a terrible mood all morning. Be careful not to give her a reason to punish you."

"Understood," Li Mei murmured.

As she followed the senior maid through the grand red corridors, Li Mei’s mind was racing. Inside the Empress’s luxurious inner chamber, the Empress sat before a large bronze mirror while two young maids carefully combed her dark hair. Her face was cold, and her red-painted fingers tapped impatiently against the wooden dressing table.

"Your Majesty, the fresh tea is served," the senior maid announced, bowing low.

"Leave it on the table," the Empress commanded coldly, not even turning around.

Li Mei stepped forward, set the tray down with soft, quiet movements, and took two steps back to leave.

"Wait," the Empress suddenly called out.

Li Mei’s heart did a sharp flip in her chest, but she stopped instantly, keeping her posture completely still.

The Empress looked at her reflection in the mirror, her sharp eyes scanning Li Mei’s face. "What is your name?"

"My name is Li Mei, Your Majesty," she answered smoothly, bowing her head.

"Have I seen you before?" the Empress asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I have served in the outer kitchen for a few months, Your Majesty," Li Mei lied without missing a single beat. "Perhaps you saw me when I was carrying fruit to the garden."

The Empress stared at her for two long seconds before waving her hand dismissively. "Go."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Li Mei murmured, bowing low before turning around and walking out into the hallway.

She didn’t let out her heavy breath until she was two corridors away. That had been far too close.

As she walked toward the servants’ quarters, she spotted a young eunuch carrying a heavy wooden basket full of fresh vegetables toward the quiet western side of the palace.

Li Mei recognized him. His name was Xiao Shun, and he was often sent to deliver food to the outer guards.

She picked up her pace and stepped into the quiet alley behind him. "Xiao Shun."

The young eunuch stopped, turning around with a surprised look. "Miss Li?"

Li Mei glanced around the empty alley to make sure no one was watching before stepping closer. "I need to ask you something quiet."

Xiao Shun looked nervous. "What is it?"

"I heard the western old courtyard has been locked down since this morning," Li Mei whispered softly. "Is someone important staying there?"

Xiao Shun’s face went pale, and he immediately shook his head. "I don’t know anything! I’m just carrying food!"

"Then why are you carrying vegetables to an empty building?" Li Mei pressed, her eyes searching his face.

He looked down at his basket, his hands trembling slightly. "Those... those are for the guards stationed outside."

"Has the Empress added more guards there today?"

Xiao Shun swallowed hard, looking around nervously. "Miss Li, please... we are not allowed to talk about this."

Li Mei reached into her sleeve and pulled out two bright silver coins, slipping them smoothly into his palm. "I’m not asking you to get into trouble, Xiao Shun. I only want to know if the guards were changed."

Xiao Shun looked at the silver coins, then looked up at Li Mei’s serious face. He leaned in close and whispered, "Three new men arrived this morning. They aren’t normal palace guards, Miss Li. They are elite shadow guards from the Empress’s personal family! The senior eunuch warned us not to go anywhere near the western chamber."

Li Mei’s chest tightened. "Is there any other way into that courtyard?"

"There is a small service window behind the old kitchen shed, but it’s usually locked," Xiao Shun whispered back quickly. "The key is kept on a big iron ring worn by the courtyard supervisor."

"Thank you, Xiao Shun," Li Mei said gently.

Xiao Shun caught her sleeve, his eyes full of fear. "Miss Li, whatever you are thinking... please don’t do it! Those guards look terrifying. They won’t hesitate to kill a servant!"

"I will be careful," Li Mei promised with a small, reassuring smile.

She watched Xiao Shun hurry away before turning her attention back to her plan.

She now had three major tasks,

Find a way inside the western old courtyard to check on Yueqing.

Send a secret message to Nine so he and Wenzhe would know where Yueqing was being held.

Uncover the exact method the Empress planned to use to poison the Emperor at the banquet in three days.

An hour later, Li Mei changed her clothes into the simple grey robe of a laundry maid. She covered her hair with a plain white cloth and wiped a little dark ash onto her sleeve to look like she had been working all afternoon.

Carrying a heavy wooden basket filled with folded white linen, she walked boldly toward the iron gate of the western old courtyard.

Two tall guards in dark leather armor stood at the entrance, their hands resting on the hilts of their heavy swords.

"Stop right there!" one guard barked, stepping into her path. "What are you doing here?"

Li Mei lowered her eyes instantly, making herself look timid and small. "My apologies, my lords. I was sent by the laundry supervisor to deliver fresh bedding for the residence."

"No one told us about a linen delivery," the guard said, eyeing her basket suspiciously.

"Oh dear," Li Mei gasped softly, looking worried. "The supervisor told me the guards here needed clean sheets. Should I go back and tell her you refused them?"

The two guards exchanged a hesitant look.

"Wait here," the first guard ordered, turning to go inside.

While his back was turned, Li Mei’s sharp eyes scanned the inner courtyard. She spotted a covered walkway, a small garden, and the main wooden building at the far end. She counted at least six heavy guards patrolling the roof and doors.

The Empress was taking no chances.

A moment later, an older woman in a dark green gown walked out from the inner building. A large ring of iron keys jingled loudly at her waist. She was the courtyard supervisor.

"What is the noise about?" the supervisor asked sternly.

"This maid claims she brought fresh bedding, Madam," the guard answered.

The supervisor stepped up to Li Mei, her sharp eyes staring down at her. "Who sent you?"

Li Mei repeated her polite story, bowing low.

The supervisor reached into the basket, checked the clean cloth, and nodded. "Leave the basket here. The guards will carry it inside."

"Madam Supervisor," Li Mei said quickly, bowing again. "My boss told me I must collect the old bedding to take back to the washroom, otherwise I will be beaten for missing inventory."

The supervisor clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Insolent girl. Fine! You can clean the storage shed near the entrance while you wait." She pointed to a small wooden building right beside the gate. "Do not wander around!"

"Thank you, Madam!" Li Mei said, bowing gratefully.

The supervisor unlocked the shed door, shoved a broom into Li Mei’s hands, and walked away.

The moment the heavy wooden door closed, Li Mei dropped the broom. She rushed to the back of the small shed, where a narrow wooden window was latched shut.

She unlatched the window carefully and peeked outside. The window opened directly into a quiet, overgrown alley behind the main building!

Li Mei squeezed her slender body through the small window frame and dropped softly onto the grassy ground without making a single sound.

Keeping her back pressed tight against the cold stone wall, she tiptoed toward the rear window of the main chamber.

As she reached the wall beneath the window, she heard two guards talking nearby.

"...Is the woman inside still quiet?" one guard asked.

"Yeah," the second guard replied. "She hasn’t said a word since the Empress left. She’s tied up tightly anyway, so where can she go?"

Li Mei waited until the sound of their heavy boots drifted further down the path. She stood on her tiptoes and peered inside the dusty glass window.

Sitting on the edge of a small wooden bed was Yueqing.

Her hands were bound tightly behind her back with thick rope. Her dark hair was messy, and a bright red slap mark was clearly visible on her pale cheek.

Li Mei’s heart burned with sudden rage.

She reached up and lightly tapped her fingernail against the wooden window frame. Tap. Tap.

Inside the dim room, Yueqing’s head snapped up. She looked at the window, her wide eyes filling with shock as she saw Li Mei peeking through the frame!

"Li Mei?!" Yueqing whispered in a hushed gasp.