Chapter 13 : The Trap in the Dark

Chapter 13: The Trap in the Dark

For days, the palace watched with bated breath.

The once-untouchable Prince Rui had stepped down from the royal succession. The Empress ruled uncontested once more, but beneath her calm exterior, her fury brewed like a silent storm. Prince Rui's defiance had hurt her pride. Publicly, she pretended to have restored peace.

Privately, she sharpened her claws.

In the quiet shadows of the Jade Quarter, whispers buzzed through the servants' halls.

> "The Prince has fallen."

> "The assassin girl remains by his side."

> "The Empress will not forgive this."

Even Mei Lian felt it. The air grew heavier each day, a silent warning that something terrible was coming.

That evening, Prince Rui returned to their secluded villa on the outskirts of the palace grounds. Though stripped of his title, he remained protected by a few loyal guards and his personal estate. The palace pretended to leave him in peace, but both he and Mei Lian knew it was an illusion.

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, Mei Lian met him at the entrance, anxiety etched across her face.

"You've been gone too long."

Rui offered a faint smile. "I was gathering information."

"And?"

"The Empress has begun purging my former allies. Several ministers have been quietly reassigned. Others have vanished altogether."

Mei Lian's chest tightened. "She's dismantling your network."

"Yes. She's cutting off every branch before she moves for the root."

Her hands trembled as she clasped them together. "We should leave the capital."

"I've considered it." His voice lowered. "But leaving now would only embolden her. And…"

He paused.

"…your father would remain vulnerable."

Her heart squeezed painfully.

Minister Mei had recovered from the trial but remained under constant watch. If they fled, the Empress would destroy him—not because he posed a threat, but because he was Mei Lian's blood.

No matter where she turned, the Empress's shadow reached.

Later that night, as moonlight bathed the quiet villa, Rui found Mei Lian sitting by the small koi pond, her face pale under the starlight.

"Rui," she whispered as he approached. "Do you ever regret it?"

"Regret?"

"Stepping down. Losing everything because of me."

He knelt before her, taking her hands into his. "I lost nothing that mattered."

"But your future—"

"My future is here." His voice was firm, eyes locked onto hers. "With you."

Tears welled in her eyes, but this time they were not from fear. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do." His lips brushed her knuckles. "And I will fight for you until my last breath."

But even as they whispered promises, the Empress's trap was already in motion.

At dawn, the silence shattered.

Guards stormed the villa's gates—not Rui's loyal men, but imperial soldiers bearing the Empress's golden crest.

Mei Lian was pulled from sleep by frantic shouts. Before she could rise, Jinhua burst into her chambers, pale and breathless.

"My lady! Soldiers! They've come for you!"

The world spun.

"For me?"

"They say… you are accused of attempted assassination against the Empress."

Mei Lian's blood froze.

> *Assassination.*

It was the gravest of charges—punishable by execution without trial.

Rui appeared moments later, sword drawn, face tight with fury.

"They mean to take you by force."

The head officer stepped forward, bowing with cruel politeness. "By order of Her Majesty, Lady Mei Lian is to be detained for plotting treason against the throne."

"She has done no such thing!" Rui barked.

The officer shrugged. "The court will decide."

"This is fabricated!"

"We follow orders, Your Highness."

"Do not call me that," Rui growled. "I am no longer a prince. But I am still a man capable of defending what is mine."

The officer hesitated. Bloodshed inside the royal estate would cause a scandal, one the Empress may not want yet. He softened his tone.

"My lord, resisting arrest will only worsen her sentence."

Mei Lian stepped forward, placing her hand gently on Rui's arm.

"Rui…" she whispered.

"No," he breathed. "I won't let them take you."

"If you fight now, they will accuse you of rebellion."

Her voice was soft but steady. "Let them take me."

"Mei Lian—"

"We need time. Time to prove this lie." She squeezed his hand tightly. "If you fight here, they win."

Pain carved itself into Rui's features. His fingers trembled as he released her hand.

The officer signaled.

Rough hands grabbed her arms. Chains snapped around her wrists.

She was dragged away as Rui stood frozen, powerless for the first time.

The imperial prison was cold and damp—a place where hope went to die.

Mei Lian sat alone, her thin robe offering little protection against the icy stones. The chains clinked softly as she shifted.

But it was not the cold that chilled her most.

It was the calculated perfection of the Empress's plan.

> *An accusation of assassination could not be easily defended. There would be no leniency this time.*

She closed her eyes, breathing slowly.

> *You've survived worse. You will survive this.*

But even as she tried to calm herself, dread coiled deep in her chest.

This time, they weren't just after her reputation.

They wanted her life.

Days blurred into one another.

No trial was scheduled. No visitors allowed.

Rui sent petitions daily but was blocked at every turn.

Mei Lian was left to rot—a quiet message to everyone watching: **this is what defiance costs.**

On the sixth day, footsteps echoed down the stone corridor.

The cell door creaked open, revealing a familiar silhouette.

The Empress.

She stood before the chained Mei Lian with an expression of serene cruelty, her silk robes sweeping like liquid gold across the floor.

"I thought it time we speak directly, child."

Mei Lian raised her chin despite the chains biting into her skin.

"There's nothing left to say."

"Oh, but there is." The Empress smiled faintly. "You see, I admire your spirit. Truly, I do. But you've overplayed your hand."

"I've only defended my family."

"You've threatened the entire balance of the empire."

The Empress stepped closer.

"You have two choices, girl. Confess your crime—a confession I will graciously frame as a tragic mistake—and I will allow you a private execution. Painless. Dignified."

Mei Lian's stomach turned.

"Or?" she forced herself to ask.

"Or I drag your father back to this prison. I strip your house of every last title and land. And I make sure Prince Rui's name is forever tied to your treason."

Her voice was soft, but the venom was unmistakable.

"You will destroy him," Mei Lian whispered.

"Not destroy. Disgrace." The Empress's smile widened. "A fate far worse for a man like him."

Mei Lian's breath shook.

> *This was her real goal. Not just to kill Mei Lian, but to break Rui completely.*

The Empress lowered her voice further, nearly a whisper.

"You were never meant for this world, child. You were born to crawl, not rise."

Mei Lian's chest burned.

Slowly, she raised her head, locking eyes with the woman who had haunted her every step.

"I was born to survive."

The Empress's smile finally faded.

"And I will."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Mei Lian exhaled shakily, her mind racing.

> *She has made one mistake. She's afraid of Rui. Afraid of what we still might uncover.*

And for the first time in days, a sliver of hope glimmered beneath her fear.

That night, across the palace walls, Rui met secretly with one of his remaining loyal allies—General Han.

"We have one chance," Rui said urgently. "The Empress is hiding something."

General Han nodded. "I've heard whispers."

"What?"

"The Empress's secret fund—the one used to purchase her private army. She's funneled taxes for years into hidden ledgers."

Rui's pulse quickened. "If we can prove it—"

"It will be enough to destroy her."

"But time is running out," Han warned. "They may execute Mei Lian before we gather the evidence."

Rui's voice turned cold.

"Then we move now."

To be continued...

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