Chapter 250 - Assembly (2/2)

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.