Chapter 2 The Breaking of Wenyuan Mei

The scent of incense lingered in the air, curling in delicate tendrils toward the high ceiling of the imperial hall. Just as Imperial Concubine Jun took a step toward Mei Liang, the grand doors of the main hall creaked open. A gust of cold wind swept through, sending a shiver down the spines of those present.

A guard strode in, his boots echoing against the polished jade floor. He moved with purpose, his expression unreadable as he approached the emperor, the empress, and the gathered imperial concubines. With a deep bow, he fell to his knees and kowtowed three times, his forehead striking the cold stone with unwavering reverence.

"This servant greets the Son of Heaven! May Your Majesty reign for a thousand years!" His voice rang through the hall, firm and unwavering.

He then turned to the empress, lowering his head once more. "This servant greets Her Majesty, may Your Majesty enjoy a thousand years of prosperity and fortune!"

With practiced precision, he greeted the assembled concubines before falling silent, his forehead still pressed to the ground.

A moment passed before Emperor Xiang's deep, commanding voice broke the silence.

"You may rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the guard replied swiftly, straightening his posture, though a tension lingered in his stance.

The emperor's sharp gaze darkened. "Speak. What brings you here?"

The guard hesitated only a moment before bowing again. "Your Majesty…" His voice faltered slightly, as though unwilling to deliver the news. "General Mei and the Imperial Guards escorting him to the capital have been ambushed… and slain. Their bodies were burned beyond recognition."

A hush fell over the hall. The flickering candlelight seemed to dim, suffocated by the weight of the words.

Mei Liang felt the air rush from her lungs. The world tilted. No. No, it cannot be.

Her feet moved before her mind could process the thought. She lunged at the guard, her fingers twisting into the front of his uniform robe, desperation clawing at her voice.

"I dare you to repeat that!" she cried, her eyes burning with unshed tears. "Who did you say was killed? Their bodies… burned?"

The guard trembled under her grip, his gaze flickering toward the emperor before lowering again. His voice was quieter this time, but no less devastating.

"This servant… has just received word that General Mei has been killed."

A sharp breath left Mei Liang's lips. No.

The strength in her legs gave out, and she crumpled to the floor like a lifeless corpse, her mind blank, her heart splintering into a thousand irreparable pieces.

She barely registered the soft touch at her ear as Mei Ming knelt beside her, voice low and laced with venom.

"Miss… we must make them pay," she whispered. "Every single one of them… for killing the young master and Master. No one shall survive."

A slow chill crept through Mei Liang's spine.

Mei Ming's voice hardened. "I have already sent the secret guards. They will burn this palace to the ground. Every traitor who had a hand in General Mei's death shall die tonight."

Mei Liang's breath hitched. Secret guards? Her fingers curled against the cold marble floor as realization struck.

Her voice came out hoarse. "Where… did these secret guards come from?"

Mei Ming met her gaze, her expression unreadable. "They were sent by Master—to protect you, Young Miss. But now, they shall be used for vengeance."

A sickening weight settled in Mei Liang's chest. Master sent them for me… but Mei Ming has twisted their loyalty into a weapon.

And then, like a blade piercing through the fog of grief, the truth unfurled before her.

Mei Ming was never loyal to her. Her allegiance had always belonged to her brother.

And her betrayal… was never truly about disloyalty.

It was about hatred.

Hatred for Mei Liang's love for the emperor—the very love that had condemned her father and brother to their deaths.

Mei Ming had never trusted her. Never forgiven her. And now, vengeance was unfolding right before her eyes.

Mei Ming had made up her mind. If Mei Liang refused to see the truth, then she would force her to.

She was ready to frame her mistress, to let her fall into the depths of despair, to make her finally understand that the emperor had never loved her.

That her love—her blind, foolish love—had been for nothing.

At the center of the grand hall, two women whispered among themselves, their voices no louder than a breath of wind.

But Emperor Xiang did not hear them.

His mind was elsewhere, consumed by the weight of the news he had just received.

General Mei was dead. It was not what he had intended.

General Mei had been a rare breed of man—loyal, fearless, and, most importantly, not greedy for power. Such a general was hard to come by.

Yet, that very loyalty had been his flaw.

He had pampered his daughter too much, placed her above all else—even above his emperor. That was the problem.

It was precisely why Emperor Xiang had tolerated Mei Liang's arrogance for so long.

Not out of affection, but because General Mei was still useful to him.

All he had wanted was to bring the general to the capital, clear his name, and in return, have him deliver the one thing that truly mattered—the map.

But someone had moved before he could.

Someone had eliminated General Mei before he could get what he wanted.

The emperor's fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of his throne.

His voice was low, calm—yet beneath it, a dangerous edge lingered.

"How did this happen?"A long silence followed before he continued.

"We sent thirty Imperial Guards to escort General Mei back to the capital." His gaze sharpened. "Summon Eunuch Zhao. I expect him here in ten minutes."

Whispers broke out among the officials.Ten minutes?

Everyone in the room knew that it was impossible. Eunuch Zhao was currently stationed in Emperor Qian Chun Gong Palace, and reaching Consort De Yunqi's Palace within such a short time was unrealistic.

Yet the emperor had spoken.He was intentionally making things difficult for Eunuch Zhao.

At the emperor's command, a guard bowed deeply before hurrying away.

And then a sudden shout rang out, piercing through the tension like a blade.

"Xiang Longwei!" The air froze. All eyes turned.

Mei Liang had risen to her feet, her entire body trembling with fury.

"Are you finally happy now?" she screamed, her voice shaking with rage.

"Now that my father is dead? Now that you can claim the Northern Army's power for yourself?"

A chilling silence followed, as heavy as a storm about to break.

Mei Liang's breath came in ragged bursts. Her hands clenched at her sides. And then, she laughed—a hollow, broken sound.

She lifted her head and glared at the man she had once loved more than life itself.

"I pray to the goddess that this Ming Dynasty falls to ruin."

Gasps erupted across the hall. But Mei Liang did not stop.

"I hope your enemies slaughter you, leaving not even a single bone intact!"

Her voice trembled, but her hatred was unwavering.

"And your beloved Consort Wei—" She spat the name like venom.

"She will be defiled. Humiliated. And I will make sure of it. Even if I die, I will watch from the afterlife as it happens."

A deathly chill settled over the room. No one dared to move. No one dared to breathe.

This was Wenyuan Mei—the once-gentle, once-devoted woman who had loved the emperor beyond reason.

And yet here she stood, cursing him to his face, wishing upon him a death so gruesome, so violent that even the most hardened generals felt their skin crawl.

Her eyes blazed, dark with hatred.

She even dared to call him by his given name—a sacrilege, a crime punishable by death.

A sharp, commanding voice cut through the suffocating air.

"The empress can no longer remain silent," Empress Qing announced, stepping forward.

Her gaze was cold, her voice steady, but there was a flicker of unease in her eyes.

"Wenyuan Mei, mind your words! How dare you curse the emperor? How dare you curse the dynasty?"

Her tone hardened. "Do you realize what you are saying is treason? That it could cost you your life?"

But Mei Liang had long passed the point of caring.

She whipped her head toward the empress, her lips twisting in scorn.

"Oh, please, shut up, Qing Lan!" Gasps rang out once more.

To address the empress by her birth name—insulting. Unforgivable. Mei Liang stepped forward, her voice rising with fury.

"Would you be so righteous if the emperor's greed had slaughtered your entire Qing family?"

She took another step. "Would you still stand there and preach about loyalty if you had lost everything?"

Her eyes darkened. "If your family was butchered because of him?"

She scoffed. "But I don't need your pathetic sermons. Keep them to yourself!"

Then, she turned back to Emperor Xiang, her breath ragged, her hatred burning like an unquenchable flame.

"Listen well, Xiang Longwei." A slow, cold smile curved her lips.

"If there is a next life, I will destroy everything you care about.

I will make you kneel at my feet. Mark my words." A shudder ran through the crowd. Mei Liang had sealed her fate.