Chapter 250 - Assembly

Chun Hai sat up in his bed and massaged his head. He was having a lot more trouble sleeping tonight than usual. So he had decided to just give up sleeping for now and got with an irritated sigh and walked over to open windows, looking at the empty street. 

He had not been able to feel at ease since arriving here and was feeling more uneasy tonight.

He had felt some relief when Chun Hua was released from the palace and thought she would give up and come home. But she remained stubborn and refused to leave. 

It was clear their plan did not go under the radar as they had expected. It not only backfired greatly but it brought her under the suspicion of the Long Emperor. It was obvious he was simply biding his time, waiting for them to make a wrong move so he could apprehend them all. They could not be reckless and it was reasonable to wait, which was why he was resisting simply barging in and dragging Chun Hua back.

But at the same time, it was only a matter of time before the Long Emperor got impatient and simply moved to capture her again, and then they would back where they started and then he would probably have to go plead with Prince Yi again, who would understandably be less than eager to help after being dismissed the first time.

Chun Hai had nothing against Prince Yi, it was simply that he had no true in brokering a deal for Prince Houyi at the moment. After all, he was the reason his sister was in trouble in the first place. Therefore, once his sister was free, there was no longer a need for him to engage in conversations he had no interest in. 

Chun Hai had hoped that with this Chun Hua would peacefully end this stupidity and return to Zou kingdom with him or if she needed distance to get over from Prince Houyi. He had always supported whatever she wanted to do. But this time he had made his disapproval for this very clear. She was risking her life in enemy territory and he could not be okay with that.

Chun Hai frowned and decided to order someone to go check on Chun Hua covertly, so he could feel more at ease. He got dressed and just as he unlocked the door, Bao Zhun burst in, "There's trouble!"

"What happened?" Chun Hai immediately inquired.

"Soldiers have taken her. I have men following them, we need to move now." Bao Zhun urgently informed. Chun Hai immediately jumped into action, with Bao Zhun following behind.

{...Houyi you better pray or Nalan will die this night...and then you...}

***

"Your majesty...Your majesty." Eunuch Li called from outside Lei Xing's bedroom. The situation was urgent. He had just received an urgent report that the Empress dowager had captured Chen You and was currently rampaging in the Chen manor. To make matters more complicated, she was apparently searching for the maid, Chun Hua. 

As things stood, only the Emperor could stop the Empress dowager before she truly ruined everything. 

"Come in." The Emperor's voice came over and Eunuch Li entered the room to find the Emperor getting dressed. The bed curtains were closed shut so Lei Xing's form could not be glimpsed beyond them.

As soon as the Emperor heard Eunuch Li's voice, the Emperor knew something serious had happened, otherwise, he would never come to interrupt his night. Eunuch Li swiftly walked over to the Emperor and explained the situation in a quiet whisper. 

The Emperor immediately frowned and fisted his hands in irritation, but he calmly responded, "I'll go to the Chen manor..." 

Eunuch Li nodded and then asked, "Your majesty, what about the inn? Should they..."

"En. Since it is already like this, let it play out..." The Emperor calmly responded, Eunuch Li bowed and quickly left to make arrangements with Commander An. 

As soon as the doors closed, Lei Xing poked her head through the curtain and asked, "What's wrong?"

The Emperor sighed and walked over to her, "Nothing for you to worry about. I need to leave to sort out some things out...Go back to sleep, I'll explain when I return." He finished with a small smile, patting her head. 

Lei Xing nodded and then said, "Be careful..."

The Emperor's smile widened and he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I will...Sleep." Lei Xing returned a little smile and nodded and then the Emperor turned to leave.

After the Emperor left the room, Lei Xing let out a sigh and laid on her back and stared at the ceiling of the canopy for a while.

{...It's one thing after another these days...Oy, doc, you awake?...}

{...*...}

{...Tch, you're never when someone needs you...⚆ _ ⚆) I mean, rarely. I recognize you saved me but I'm still pissed at you for today. So come talk -_-)'...}

{...*...}

{...-_-)'...}

***

Chun Hua was ushered into the Chen manor leisurely walking on her own two feet. Since she showed no protest, Chen Bo allowed her to maintain the dignity of walking on her, surrounded by soldiers of course. 

Like her brother, Chun Hua had also been having trouble sleeping this night and so she noticed as soon the soldiers approached the inn. She immediately flew into escape mode and tried to flee through the back but before she could scale the wall, she was surrounded by soldiers. 

Chen Bo kindly explained the situation to her as they made their way and this made Chun Hua feel more reassured. Since it was the Empress dowager and not the Emperor, her cover was not yet blown. If it was the Monk Du issue, she believed she could talk her way through it. 

As Chun Hua entered the Chen family's reception hall, she glanced over at Chen You's sorry state and was mildly amused. Chen You, on the other hand, glared daggers at her.

{...This is all your fault!...}

Chun Hua was not bothered by Chen You's hostility and swiftly got on her knees before the Empress dowager and cupped her hands and respectfully said, "Your majesty, I am sorry to have kept you waiting. How may I be of service?" 

"Are you the one called Chun Hua?" The Empress dowager coldly asked as she looked Chun Hua over.

"That is correct, Your majesty. Chun Hua is at your serv-"

"Where is the monk?" The Empress dowager swiftly cut her off. 

"Monk?" Chun Hua went, innocently blinking at the Empress dowager.

The Empress dowager frowned, her temper was surging again, she turned to Chen You and bit out, "You said she would know."

Chen You immediately felt panic, dropped to her knees, and cast an accusing glare at Chun Hua, "First, you conspire with a fake monk to trick me and now you want to lie to the Empress dowager's face? How d-"

"Shut up!" The Empress dowager barked, slamming her hands on handles of her chair handles, jumping to her feet.

Chen You's mouth immediately clamped shut and she lowered her head in fear. Chun Hua looked at her and resisted the urge to snicker. Seeing the proud and high Chen You cowering like a little girl was most entertaining. 

"You, come here." The Empress dowager ordered, pointing to the commander. He swiftly immediately responded but instead of issuing an order, the Empress dowager simply drew out his sword. She raised it up and leisurely scrutinized it as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then she calmly said, "Someone in this room tell me where the monk is...Now." 

Everyone in the room remained silent, most of them completely lost and baffled on the subject matter. The only ones who knew what was truly going on where Chen You and Chun Hua, but they both seemed lost in their thoughts. 

Chun Hua reacted first, bowed her head and then calmly said, "Your majesty, if it is Monk Du you are after, then if you give me some time I ca-"

"I asked his whereabouts, not about the time!" The Empress dowager barked and then put the sword down on a shocked Chun Hua's neck and menacingly went, "Where is he? I won't ask again..."

Chun Hua stared at the Empress dowager wide-eyed now realizing that she was truly in trouble here. This woman seemed to be completely unhinged. Chen You could not even take joy in watching Chun Hua's fear, considering that she knew that if the Empress dowager did kill Chun Hua, she would become the center of the Empress dowager's attention again. 

Chun Hua blinked, swallowed, and then shakily went, "I- I..."

The Empress dowager frowned in irritation, "You're useless." She said and then raised the sword to strike down.

"Tauhua temple!" Chun Hua shouted as the sword came crashing down, the Empress dowager stopped the sword in mid-air, but she did not lower it. She raised an eyebrow at Chun Hua, who was staring at the hanging sword.

"How do I get there?" The Empress dowager coldly asked.

Chun Hua knit her brows and the Empress dowager menacingly went, "You don't know?" 

"I know!" Chun Hua blurted out glancing up at the Empress dowager, "I...I can lead you there." 

The Empress dowager lowered the sword as she narrowed her eyes at Chun Hua, "You can?"

Chun Hua fervently nodded, "He has taken me there before...I can take you." She said as she looked up at the Empress dowager with the most sincere expression she could muster, given the circ.u.mstances.

Chun Hua did not know where Taohua temple was, much less how to get there. She was not even sure if Monk Du had even gone back there...but right now, she felt that this was the only response that could safeguard her life. She just needed to convince the Empress dowager of her lie and then as soon as they were out of the city, her brother could save her. 

She just needed to stay alive for now and buy time.

The Empress dowager intensely scrutinized Chun Hua, the cold unfathomable depths behind the woman's eyes made Chun Hua worry that the Empress dowager would see through her lie. She was uncomfortable, but she knew that she could not look away now. So she braced herself and maintained her "honest" mask and tentatively said, "I speak the truth. I can lead the way."

The Empress dowager blinked but before she could speak, a loud clamor from outside broke the quiet of the night, arresting the attention of those in the reception hall.