Chapter 249 - Prey Hunting (1/2)

After a day and half of speeding towards the capital, Chen You's carriage stopped for what she thought was another short break. But then she then heard the Empress dowager's voice, ”Drag her out.”

Chen You and the maids immediately froze in fear. The door then opened and Chen You saw the Empress dowager ahead of them sitting on a horse glaring at the carriage, with a large number of troops behind her.

The three girls inside the carriage immediately gulped.

”Concubine Chen, please get down!” A soldier respectfully said.

Chen You hesitated and the Empress dowager got irritated and barked, ”I said drag her out!”

They all jumped and Chen You speedily got down on her own, she took a deep breath as she shakily walked over to where the Empress dowager was now standing.

With the Empress dowager here, Chen You could sense that this issue was a lot more troublesome than she had thought. She had expected that this encounter to take place in the palace, where the Emperor was.

She had believed that everything will, that she could even use this opportunity to get back into the palace. But now facing the Empress dowager, her entourage and all these soldiers, she was starting to feel afraid. It was obvious the Empress dowager was incredibly bothered by the issue for her to ride out herself to meet Chen You's carriage halfway.

Chen You gulped, braced herself, put on a smile, and bowed, ”Your majesty, it is good to see you healthy. I'm sorry I was not able to bid you farewe-”

”Where is the monk?” The Empress dowager irritatedly asked, cutting off Chen You. She was not in the mood for nonsense.

”Th-the Monk?” Chen You shakily responded, lowering her head with a frown.

{...As I thought, it was the monk...}

”Speak!” The Empress dowager suddenly barked. Chen You jumped and immediately fell to her knees and began, ”Your majesty, if I had known he was a fake, then I would ha-”

”Fake?! You dare bring a fake before me?!” The Empress dowager barked as she reached out and yanked the sword hanging on a soldier's waist and brought it crashing down towards Chen You.

Chen You inhaled and swiftly kowtowed just in the nick of time, as the sword cut through the air where her neck had just been. Panic immediately set in for Chen You and she shakily went, ”Your majesty, I would never. If I had known - No, I didn't know, it was that Chun Hau! - Yes, it is all that Chun Hua's fault! I was tricked! S-sh-she was the one who brought him to me a-and I just wanted to help you so I-I brought him. I'm innocent! Please forgive me, Your majesty! I -”

”Shut up!” The Empress dowager shouted and Chen You immediately went silent and began shuddering even more as she felt the cold steel edge of the sword come to rest on her neck.

The Empress dowager took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then she menacingly asked, ”Again, I ask...Where is the monk?” Fake or not, he will still need to explain some things to her.

”I-I don - I don't know.” Chen You shakily replied, squeezing her eyes shut in fear.

”You don't know?” The Empress dowager calmly asked, ”You're useless then...” She said in the same calm voice as she dug the sword into Chen You's neck, drawing blood.

”Chun Hua! Ch-Chun Hua knows!” Chen You immediately shouted. She glanced up at the Empress dowager with teary eyes and urgently continued, ”I can find her! She's my maid, I can find her and sh-she can find the monk!”

”Chen Hua?” The Empress dowager asked raising an eyebrow and Chen You nodded, ”Y-yes, she knows where the monk is...”

”And where is this Chun Hua?” The Empress dowager asked narrowing her eyes down at her.

Chen You swallowed, she honestly did not know but she definitely could not say that now or she might really die.

”S-she's at the palace.” Chen You shakily responded.

”Your majesty, the Emperor actually sent that maid out of the palace a few days ago.” Ling mama kindly supplied with a bow to the Empress dowager.

Before the Empress dowager could rage again, Chen You immediately amended, ”Then she must be at my family home! T-the Chen manor. She's friends with my mother! M-m-my mother will know! S-she should be at the house, she has nowhere else to go! She'll definitely be there....”

The Empress dowager glared at the shaking Chen You for a bit and then dropped the sword on the ground. Chen You let of the breath she had been holding and looked back down, almost kissing the ground.

The Empress dowager let out a breath, then she reached down and grabbed Chen You's hair, yanking her head up. Chen You panicked and froze in fear as her teary eyes looked at the Empress dowager's icy gaze, ”You better find me that monk...otherwise you will be useless.” The Empress dowager menacingly said and then threw her to the ground.

The Empress dowager stood up and ordered, ”Get her horse.” Then she turned and went back to hers, while a soldier helped the shaking Chen You up. She was promptly placed on a horse and then the group left as swiftly as they had come with Chen You in tow.

Chen You rode in the middle of the soldiers, escape was daring and impossible. She could still feel the blood oozing out of her wound, she was scared, truly scared. But she tried to reassure herself that she was going home and her father will be there. She will be fine.