Chapter 62

Perilous Escapades at the Eleventh Hour

That night, Bai She and Shi Mei stealthily left the depths of the mountains, skillfully evading the layers of guards within and outside the imperial city, and made their way into the heart of the palace.

Shi Mei, familiar with the palace from previous visits, noticed something different this time. The guards seemed to have increased, yet oddly, most of them were Qin Xianglian's soldiers.

Observing from a rooftop, Bai She frowned, "It seems Qin Xianglian has taken control. The palace is under his occupation."

Shi Mei realized the gravity of the situation, "Then the Empress Dowager's edict..."

"It might have been coerced or entirely forged by Qin Xianglian!" Bai She offered a slight smile. "A mother wouldn't treat her daughter so harshly, especially since the Empress Dowager is so fond of you."

Shi Mei smiled wryly at this, knowing all too well that she was an imposter, and the real Chen Shiming had long passed away.

Bai She, noticing her expression, chuckled, "You're being naive. If Qin Xianglian can suspect you're not the real one, how could the Empress Dowager not know?"

Shi Mei looked up at Bai She, surprised, "You mean..."

"Shh!" Bai She quickly covered her mouth and crouched down before she could finish.

Indeed, a patrol passed by, led by a palace maid who had served the Empress Dowager for years. She was carrying a food box, leisurely entering the Empress Dowager's courtyard.

As the door closed, she shot a displeased glance at the trailing guards with a loud "bang."

Bai She and Shi Mei exchanged a knowing look — there was a way in! It appeared the Empress Dowager was unharmed but under house arrest.

They waited a while longer, then, after the guards had dispersed, Bai She led Shi Mei into the courtyard.

Fortunately, there weren't many guards inside the Empress Dowager's quarters; they were mostly on the perimeter. Qin Xianglian's preparations were insufficient to take the bold step of directly harming the Empress Dowager.

"Is Qin Xianglian fearful of the Empress Dowager?" Bai She, sensing something amiss, asked Shi Mei.

"Yes, somewhat," Shi Mei pondered. "I never asked in detail, but the Emperor controls the main army. It doesn’t make sense for Qin Xianglian to usurp power so easily!"

Bai She smirked coldly, "Didn’t they say the Emperor fell ill? It seems likely Qin Xianglian plotted against him and gradually usurped his authority."

As they whispered, two maids exited the Empress Dowager's chambers and sat in the courtyard, sighing heavily.

Shi Mei recognized them as devoted servants to the Empress Dowager.

Bai She glanced at Shi Mei, who nodded subtly. He then picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it gently...

With a barely audible "plink," the stone landed near one maid's foot.

Both maids started, then saw another stone fall a bit further away. They looked up, following the direction indicated by the stones, to see Shi Mei quietly waving from the bushes.

One maid's mouth dropped open in shock, but the other, more quick-witted, quickly covered her mouth. The startled maid covered her mouth as well, nodding vigorously to signal understanding and silence.

Then, one maid went inside to inform the Empress Dowager, while the other surveyed the surroundings before approaching them.

"Princess... Master Bai."

"Is the Empress Dowager alright?" Shi Mei asked urgently.

The maid shook her head, "She's fine, just worried about you."

At that moment, the door of another room opened, and the second maid gestured for them to come inside.

Bai She and Shi Mei exchanged a glance and hurried into the room.

The maids quickly shut the door, visibly relieved at their arrival. Taking deep breaths to compose themselves, they resumed their gloomy facade outside, standing guard while those inside discussed their next move.

"Mother!" Shi Mei, seeing the Empress Dowager safe and sound, breathed a sigh of relief.

The Empress Dowager, looking relatively well, pulled out a thick, prepared letter from her robe and handed it to Shi Mei. "Leave quickly!"

"But..."

"I've outlined the plan in the letter. Just follow it, hurry! I knew you would come. This is our last chance. Your imperial brother has been placed under house arrest! If we don't handle this well, Qin Xianglian will usurp the throne for sure!"

Shi Mei nodded. At that moment, they heard voices outside – two maids were arguing.

The Empress Dowager tenderly touched Shi Mei's face, her voice tinged with reluctance. "Go now, someone's coming! Don't worry, they won't dare harm me for now."

With tears in her eyes, Shi Mei nodded and left through the back window, led by Bai She.

The Empress Dowager hurried to her bed, silently praying. Everything now depended on Shi Mei! With Bai She there, there was still a glimmer of hope.

After exiting the window, Bai She and Shi Mei didn't rush to leave but hid behind the artificial hill in the backyard.

As expected, a troop of soldiers soon entered, checking the area. Seeing the two maids arguing, they watched, barely holding back laughter.

The Empress Dowager opened her door and coughed lightly. The maids immediately stopped talking and ran inside to attend to her.

It wasn't long before the soldiers left.

The Empress Dowager hurried to the back window and, sure enough, saw Shi Mei and Bai She still there.

She felt a pang of heartache. It had been days since they had seen each other, and there was so much to talk about. She had heard that Shi Mei and Bai She were betrothed. Was Bai She treating her well? These were questions a mother should ask, but sadly, now was not the time.

The Empress Dowager then informed Shi Mei that her imperial brother had been poisoned with a strange drug, leaving him in a dazed state and under house arrest in the inner palace. Qin Xianglian had seized full control, and many ministers were unaware, especially the generals outside the city. She feared that in a few days, Qin Xianglian would start replacing commanders to seize military power, potentially leading to great chaos.

Bai She asked if they could rescue the Emperor now.

The Empress Dowager shook her head, "Absolutely not. Qin Xianglian has the upper hand now. Any rash action could lead to total defeat. Everything you need to know is in the letter. Be very careful!"

Shi Mei nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Having grown up motherless, the Empress Dowager's affection was the first real maternal love she had experienced. She regarded the Empress Dowager as her own mother and was determined to help them overcome this crisis.

After bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager, Shi Mei tried to pull Bai She away, but he stood still, looking at the Empress Dowager with a complex expression.

The Empress Dowager, slightly taken aback, smiled and asked, "What do you want?"

Shi Mei looked at Bai She, puzzled.

Bai She raised an eyebrow slightly, acknowledging the Empress Dowager as a formidable figure. Indeed, none who reached this level of power were fools.

"Three conditions."

Bai She stated his terms succinctly.

Shi Mei tugged at his arm, annoyed. Was this really the time to make demands?

However, the Empress Dowager gestured to Shi Mei reassuringly, signaling her to let Bai She speak.

Bai She, without hesitation, declared, "First, no matter what happens, neither you nor the Emperor will harm Shi Mei."

Shi Mei was momentarily taken aback, realizing Bai She was securing a safety net for her, unaware of her true identity.

The Empress Dowager smiled, gently pinching Shi Mei's chin. "You have better judgment than I do."

Mei Zi felt slightly embarrassed and remained silent.

"I agree," the Empress Dowager nodded. "Don't worry about the Emperor. And the second condition?"

"The matter of my betrothal to Mei Zi."

"If she agrees, I have no objections." The Empress Dowager nodded approvingly. Bai She was more than he seemed; with him involved, their chances of success increased. Even Qin Xianglian paled in comparison.

"And the third?"

The Empress Dowager glanced outside, noting that the second patrol was approaching.

Bai She arched an eyebrow, "Let's leave that pending." After speaking, he whisked Shi Mei onto the rooftop, carefully exiting the city and heading towards the mountains.

Once they returned to their refuge, they entered a room and opened the letter from the Empress Dowager, reading it attentively.

As Shi Mei read through the Empress Dowager's intricately devised strategies, she admired, "Mother has such a meticulous mind!"

"Indeed," Bai She agreed, sitting beside Shi Mei as Xiang Er brought stewed silver pear for her.

Bai She took the bowl, pulling Shi Mei into his embrace, feeding her the pear while they continued reading the letter.

Shi Mei savored the sweet pear, looking up at Bai She.

"What's wrong?" Bai She continued to feed her.

Shi Mei, however, couldn't eat anymore. She put down the soup bowl and the letter. Seeing Shi Mei seemed to have something to say to Bai She, Xiang Er quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Shi Mei settled herself, grasping Bai She's hands and looking up at him.

Bai She, amused by her serious demeanor, looked back at her earnestly.

"I have something important to tell you," Shi Mei said solemnly, "about my past."

Bai She smiled gently, "As I've said before... if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I won't press you."

"No," Shi Mei shook her head, "If we're to be together, I want to be completely honest with you! You might not even like me if you don't fully understand who I am."

Bai She, amused by her earnestness, replied, "Then I should listen carefully."

Shi Mei glanced at him, then leaned closer and began to recount her life story – how she was born, her childhood, her ancestry tracing back to Chen Shimei, how a sneeze brought her back to life, her fears of accidentally returning to her past life, and how she had always lived on edge. Initially, impersonating Chen Shimei was purely for self-preservation and to enjoy the status and happiness it brought, free from mistreatment. But living behind a mask each day felt shameful, deceiving the world and even the Empress Dowager's affection.

Bai She listened quietly, occasionally comforting Shi Mei with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder when she reached particularly painful parts of her story.

They spent the whole night talking heart to heart and plotting strategies – determined to turn the situation around, marry happily, and live joyfully for the rest of their lives.

The next morning, everyone set out on their tasks. After Shi Mei made arrangements, she and Bai She left.

Before departing, Xiao Fu Zi rubbed against Shi Mei affectionately. Shi Mei had been too busy since her return and had neglected the little cat, which was now clearly unhappy.

Shi Mei picked up the now slightly plumper Xiao Fu Zi, stroking its head, "Xiao Fu Zi, you look so prosperous. Bless us with success this time!"

Leaving the refuge, Bai She and Shi Mei first headed to Dayu Mountain to find the Tree Witch and the Poison Witch. They hoped the Poison Witch had arrived and that they hadn't already started fighting.

The Tree Witch's hideout was challenging to locate; they had stumbled upon it previously, but this time it took considerable effort to find.

It was nearly dark when they finally found the path into the mountain, guided by markers Shi Mei had left during their last visit.

As they walked deeper, Shi Mei carefully removed the markers to prevent discovery.

Approaching the Tree Witch's dwelling, they heard a cacophony of curses, startling Shi Mei and causing Bai She to shake his head. The two old witches were indeed quarreling there.

Peering through the bushes, they saw both witches injured and arguing fiercely, each blaming the other for stealing a lover, their words laced with venom and exasperation.

Shi Mei didn't fully understand their argument and didn't particularly want to. She only wanted to ask them two questions: she needed to ask the Tree Witch about the location of the Maoyu treasure, and the Poison Witch about the Emperor's condition. According to the Empress Dowager's letter, the Emperor had become unwell after inhaling a particular incense during a performance, complaining of a severe headache, and had been behaving abnormally ever since.

Shi Mei had searched through numerous books but couldn't find the reason for the Emperor's illness, lamenting her insufficient knowledge. With Chen Shimei gone, her only hope was this Poison Witch.

"Elders!" Shi Mei tried to interrupt the two quarreling women, but they completely ignored her, continuing their heated argument.

Bai She sighed and said to Shi Mei, "Although this place is hidden, their loud quarreling could easily attract our pursuers!"

Shi Mei frowned, knowing that the Tree Witch couldn't leave her tree and they had to stay here, risking the arrival of their pursuers...

"Stop fighting, I need to ask you something," Shi Mei attempted to intervene, but the two elderly women, fixated on their feud, paid no attention to her and argued even more fiercely.

Seeing Shi Mei's growing desperation, Bai She picked up a knife, ready to step in. Shi Mei stopped him, "What are you doing?"

Bai She shrugged, "If they won't stop, we'll have to use force."

"No, wait!" Shi Mei quickly intervened. "That won't do... Let me try, I have an idea!"

Bai She looked puzzled but stepped aside, folding his arms to watch how Shi Mei would handle the situation.

Shi Mei rubbed her eyes and stepped between the two bickering women. Only then did they notice her, and the Tree Witch waved her hand dismissively, "Girl, step aside!"

The Poison Witch nodded in agreement, "Girl, let me handle this old demoness!"

Shi Mei looked from one to the other, and finally, with a heavy heart, she crouched down, hugged her knees, and began to cry loudly.