Chapter 229 -

Chapter 229: Chapter

Yueqing lay star-shaped across her soft feather mattress, staring up at the carved wooden ceiling while her stomach let out a loud, miserable growl.

She had eaten a full plate of steamed fish, pork belly, and rice at the Moonview Tea Pavilion earlier, followed by a light dinner in her room. Yet, here she was at midnight, completely starving.

"Nine, is there any chance you can spawn a bag of spicy potato chips into my inventory?" Yueqing grumbled out loud to the empty room.

[System Drive encountering critical update. Initiating forced reboot in 3... 2... 1...] Nine’s robotic voice glitched out inside her head, followed by a dull beep before going completely silent.

Yueqing blinked, rolling her eyes. "Great. Leaving me right when I’m dying of hunger. Useless system."

Unable to endure her craving any longer, Yueqing threw off her blanket and slid into a simple outer robe. Dressed in her soft inner garments with her hair hanging loosely down her back, she tiptoed out of her room. Lu Yue had already retired for the night, sound asleep in the adjoining servants’ quarters, so Yueqing didn’t bother disturbing her.

She navigated the quiet, torch-lit corridors of the Xi estate, her stomach guiding her straight toward the central imperial kitchen. The night air was crisp, but the thought of midnight snacks kept her moving.

Pushing through the quiet, torch-lit corridors on her way to the kitchen, Yueqing nearly stumbled right into a young maid carrying a heavy silver food tray.

The maid gasped, quickly lowering her head and pulling the tray close to her chest. "Lady Su! Forgive me, I did not see you in the dark!"

Yueqing caught her balance, her eyes immediately darting to the steaming bowl of soup and delicate small dishes set neatly on the polished tray. Her stomach gave another desperate growl at the mouthwatering smell of hot broth.

"Who is all this food for at this time of night?" Yueqing asked curiously, leaning in to take a faint, hopeful sniff.

"It is for General Xi, Young Madame," the maid replied respectfully. "He has been working non-stop in his study all night without touching his dinner. The head cook instructed us to prepare a hot midnight meal and send it up to him."

"Ah... I see," Yueqing sighed, disappointed that the food wasn’t meant for her. "Alright then, hurry up and take it to him while it’s still hot."

"Yes, Young Madame," the maid bowed deeply before turning around to continue down the long hallway toward Wenzhe’s courtyard.

Watching the tray disappear around the corner, Yueqing rubbed her empty stomach and picked up her pace toward the central kitchen, determined to find whatever leftover steamed buns or sweet pastries she could lay her hands on.

Pushing open the heavy wooden doors of the kitchen, Yueqing smiled as the lingering aroma of roasted meats and sweet sesame oil greeted her nose. She reached for a flickering lantern on the wall, holding it up as she stepped inside.

Suddenly, a slight rustle came from near the large flour sacks in the pantry.

Yueqing froze, her eyes narrowing as she raised the lantern higher. "Who’s there? I have a wooden spoon and I’m not afraid to use it!"

A slender figure stepped out from the shadowy corner, clutching a small brass container tight against her chest.

When the warm candlelight washed over the girl’s pale face, Yueqing gasped softly, her jaw dropping in sheer surprise.

It was Li Mei.

The girl stood frozen like a deer caught in headlights, her wide eyes reflecting the flickering lantern flame. Yueqing stared at her in utter disbelief. It had been nearly two full months since the whole kidnapping chaos the very day Wenzhe went missing and Yueqing left for the xi estate ! Li Mei had vanished completely from the estate right after, leaving no trace behind.

When on earth did she come back? Yueqing thought frantically, her mind spinning as she took in the servant girl’s neat appearance. Has she been hiding in the estate this whole time, or did she just slip back inside tonight?!

Li Mei’s chest heaved as she took a slow, trembling step backward, her knuckles turning white around the brass container in her hands.

"L-Lady Su..." Li Mei stammered, her voice shaking violently in the quiet room.

"I’ve been looking everywhere for you," Yueqing said, her voice sharp and direct. "Now we can finally talk."

Before Li Mei could pull back, Yueqing grabbed her wrist in a tight, unyielding grip.

Li Mei didn’t scream. Her eyes narrowed, and she yanked her arm back hard, trying to twist out of Yueqing’s hold. "Let go of me, Lady Su!" she snapped under her breath, digging her heels into the floor.

"Not a chance," Yueqing muttered, tightening her grip and pulling the maid along the dark corridor.

Li Mei fought back every step of the way, but Yueqing held on firm until they reached her bedchamber. She kicked the door open, hauled Li Mei inside, and slammed the bolt shut with a heavy clack.

Li Mei stumbled back, quickly pulling her sleeves straight. She stood her ground, clutching the brass container to her chest while glaring straight at Yueqing.

"You vanished the exact night Wenzhe went missing and I was kidnapped," Yueqing said, crossing her arms as she stared the maid down. "You’ve been gone for two months, and now I find you sneaking through the kitchen at midnight. Speak up, Li Mei. Where have you been, and what are you doing back here?"

Li Mei let out a sharp, bitter laugh, holding the brass container even tighter against her chest.

"Young Madame, I really don’t understand why you are so concerned about my whereabouts," Li Mei said, her tone dripping with quiet hostility. "I am just a mere maid. Even though the General and I once had an affair, that is all long in the past now. You are his official wife, so please, let me take my leave."

Yueqing didn’t budge an inch from the locked door. She raised an eyebrow, looking at Li Mei like she had just spoken absolute nonsense.

"An affair?" Yueqing scoffed, taking a step closer to her. "You really think I dragged you all the way here to play jealous wife over some outdated rumor? Don’t insult my intelligence, Li Mei."

Li Mei’s eyes flickered, her stubborn posture tensing up.

"The General doesn’t care about you, and frankly, neither do I," Yueqing continued, her eyes dropping straight to the brass container in Li Mei’s hands. "What I do care about is the fact that you vanished right when kidnappings, and treason started floating around. A simple maid doesn’t just disappear for two months and sneak back in at midnight with a hidden container."

Yueqing pointed directly at the brass tube. "Open it. Show me what’s inside, or I call the guards right now and let Wenzhe deal with a suspected spy."

Li Mei’s knuckles turned bone-white as she clutched the brass container tight against her ribs. But before she could react, Yueqing lunged forward and snatched it straight out of her hands with a swift, powerful strike.

"Give me that!" Yueqing demanded.

[System Drive reboot complete! Initializing diagnostic sweep...] Nine’s high-pitched electronic voice suddenly blared back to life inside her head. [Host, what did I miss?!]

[Nine! Perfect timing, stop talking and scan this container right now!] Yueqing ordered internally, holding the cold brass tube firmly in her hand. [Tell me what on earth is inside this thing!]

A soft cyan light flashed across Yueqing’s vision as Nine executed a rapid molecular scan.

[Scan complete!] Nine reported, its voice turning dead serious. [Host, that container holds a highly refined, lethal slow-acting neurotoxin! Just two drops can cause silent organ failure within hours!]

Yueqing’s eyes widened in horror. She snapped her gaze up, glaring at Li Mei with sharp, icy fury.

"Poison?" Yueqing spat out, her voice dropping into a deadly whisper. "What are you doing sneaking around at midnight with a container full of lethal poison?! Who are you trying to kill?!"

Li Mei’s face drained of all remaining color, her mouth opening and closing in complete shock as she backed away toward the locked door.

Suddenly, a realization struck Yueqing like a heavy bolt of lightning.

Earlier, on her way to the kitchen to find a midnight snack, she had passed two servants carrying a silver tray stacked with warm dishes and a steaming pot of soup. When Yueqing had asked them where they were going at such a late hour, the maids had bowed and mentioned that General Xi had been working straight through the night without dinner, so they were delivering a late meal to his study.

Yueqing’s stomach dropped into a cold, dark abyss.

[The food!] Yueqing gasped in her mind, her heart pounding frantically against her ribs. [She wasn’t just hiding in the kitchen... she was waiting to poison Wenzhe’s midnight food!]

"That means the food from earlier that the maids were going to delivered.. were poisoned!!"