The courtyard housing the study was unlit, making the interior of the pavilion pitch black and impossible to see.
But this posed no challenge for Ye Chutang, equipped with night-vision goggles.
The first-floor hall was for receiving guests, with the study on the left and a lounge on the right.
The study’s layout resembled those often depicted in television dramas.
The mechanism for the hidden chamber was similarly clichéd.
At a glance, the bronze "Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow" figurine on the antique shelf—polished to a shine from frequent handling—was the key.
Ye Chutang twisted the flying horse, and a series of clicking sounds followed.
The bookshelf slid aside, revealing a stone door.
On it was a combination lock linked to the twenty-eight lunar mansions.
The lock had clearly been used often, as certain positions were smoother and cleaner than others.
"Going through so much trouble—there must be something valuable inside."
As the inheritor of both medicine and poison from an ancient martial arts family, Ye Chutang had studied anything related to antiquity.
With the "hint" in place, cracking the code wasn’t particularly difficult for her.
After a dozen or so attempts, the stone door opened.
Beyond it wasn’t a hidden chamber but a narrow, descending staircase paved with bluestone slabs.
The other three sides were smooth stone panels.
In the dim light, small holes were faintly visible on the slabs—likely traps.
"Tsk, why does this feel like a tomb?"
After muttering her complaint, Ye Chutang crouched down.
She retrieved a military knife from her spatial storage and pried up one of the bluestone slabs.
Her fingers brushed the soil beneath, and using her earth-based psychic ability, she mapped the structure under the stairs, easily avoiding the traps.
At the bottom of the stairs stood another stone door with a combination lock.
Beyond it lay a vast chamber.
A massive luminous pearl embedded in the ceiling cast a pale green glow, illuminating the entire room.
Ye Chutang removed the glaring night-vision goggles.
The chamber wasn’t just filled with gold, silver, jade, antiques, and rare books—it also stored weapons and grain!
She knew Ye Jingchuan was aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction.
But if these supplies were meant for the Crown Prince, the Empress would never have allowed Ye Anling to marry Eunuch De.
Which meant Ye Jingchuan was secretly backing another prince as well.
"Not particularly capable, but quite the schemer."
Ye Chutang was certain the weapons couldn’t have been transported into the Minister’s Mansion openly.
There had to be a secret passage leading outside.
She found it.
In a flash, she reached the end—a wine cellar.
Above, the clamor of a lively crowd suggested either a brothel or a tavern.
Assuming the cellar belonged to the Ye family, Ye Chutang unceremoniously stored several jars of fine wine in her spatial storage before retracing her steps to the hidden chamber.
After some searching, she discovered a hidden compartment inside a golden Buddha statue.
Inside were letters exchanged between Ye Jingchuan, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince.
Though few in number, every word was damning.
Ye Chutang quickly pieced together the rotten core of imperial power.
The Emperor was obsessed with immortality, spending his days either refining elixirs or building Taoist temples.
Not only did this waste resources and burden the people with heavier taxes, but it also left the court in the grip of the perverted Eunuch De, who reveled in debauchery and turned governance into a cesspool.
The Crown Prince embezzled disaster relief funds and withheld provisions and pay from border troops.
The Second Prince rigged imperial exams, formed factions, and even used children’s blood for the Emperor’s elixirs.
Ye Chutang had always been somewhat cold-hearted.
After enduring the ruthless, selfish apocalypse, few things could stir her emotions anymore.
Yet the sheer depravity in these letters left her struggling to breathe.
"The Zhao royal family deserves annihilation!"
After cursing, she entered the resting area of her spatial storage and tucked the letters into a drawer.
Sipping an iced cola to cool her anger, she surveyed the fully stocked space.
"I need to find a way to earn virtue points and upgrade this place."
Without zombies or mutated creatures threatening humanity in this era, the only way was to eliminate the wicked and save the innocent.
The villains she knew of were the royals and Eunuch De.
But meddling with them risked destabilizing the nation and harming ordinary people.
"Then Prince Chen is the only option."
With that, she headed to the medicinal storage area.
Prince Chen’s fire poison had already reached his heart and lungs—half a step into the coffin.
Saving him wouldn’t be easy.
Without the millennium-old medical knowledge and spatial abilities passed down in her family, it would be impossible.
The storage area had several sections. Ye Chutang went to the breeding zone.
Time stood still inside the space, and aside from its owner, no living beings could enter—except for small medicinal creatures.
Inside, they neither grew nor moved, as if lifeless.
But once taken out, they sprang back to life.
The breeding zone was lined with cabinets, each drawer labeled—common specimens like centipedes, ants, and earthworms, alongside extinct rarities like phantom spiders, ice leeches, and frost cicadas.
Ye Chutang stopped at the innermost cabinet and pulled out the drawers for ice leeches and frost cicadas.
Ice leeches were supremely cold. While they could draw out Prince Chen’s fire poison, they’d also infect him with frost toxin.
That was where the frost cicadas came in—creatures that thrived in cold and could neutralize the frost poison.
The ice leech, encased in ice, was ready to use, though a bit small and needing cultivation.
As for the frost cicada, she had used the last one in the apocalypse. Only a single egg remained, resting atop a block of ice.
Ye Chutang smirked. "Prince Chen’s luck isn’t half bad."
Frost cicadas were extinct—each one used was irreplaceable.
She placed the ice leech and cicada egg in the resting area, then rearranged the storage containers to make space for the chamber’s treasures.
After looting the hidden chamber, she donned her night-vision goggles and retraced her steps.
Meanwhile...
Ye Jingchuan arrived at Ningchu Courtyard with guards in tow.
The group stared in shock at the completely empty courtyard.
Ye Jingchuan barged into Ye Chutang’s bedchamber, his face darkening at the sight of the barren room.
From the moment the maid had gone to Liuli Courtyard to summon him, barely two incense sticks’ worth of time had passed.
Where were all the courtyard’s belongings?
Even if thieves had struck, how could they have stolen something as massive as the canopy bed?
A gust of night wind rustled the bamboo, sending a chill creeping up Ye Jingchuan’s spine.
He hurried back outside and ordered the guards, "Bring that maid here!"
Losing possessions was one thing—but losing Ye Chutang was unacceptable.
Shuang'er had just fetched the physician to Liuli Courtyard when the guards dragged her to Ningchu Courtyard.
Ye Jingchuan slapped her across the face.
Smack!
It was his third attempt today—finally successful.
His left hand trembled with agitation, lips curling.
"Speak! Where is the young mistress?"
Shuang'er’s head snapped to the side, the taste of iron flooding her mouth.
She swallowed the blood and pointed weakly toward Ye Chutang’s bedchamber.
"The young mistress and Dan'er both fainted inside."
Ye Jingchuan scoffed. "Then go find her!"
Bewildered, Shuang'er scrambled to her feet and rushed to the window, pushing it open.
Her eyes bulged at the sight of the empty room.
Where was everyone?
Where were all the furnishings?
She turned and dropped to her knees, her face as pale as death, the bloodstains making her look like a vengeful spirit.
"Master, when this servant left for Liuli Courtyard, Ningchu Courtyard was intact, and the young mistress and Dan'er were unconscious inside!"
Desperate, she raised a hand and swore an oath.
"If this humble servant speaks a single false word, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
"Boom!"
The thunder roared on cue, startling Shuang'er so badly she nearly fainted.
"My lord, I swear I'm not lying!"
A fierce gust of wind tore her words apart, scattering them into the storm.
Ye Jingchuan saw the tempest rolling in—there was no time to debate whether Shuang'er's words were true or not. Rubbing his throbbing temples, he turned to the guards.
"Gather everyone immediately and search the entire Minister's Mansion for the young mistress. Leave no corner unchecked!"
The Minister's Mansion was heavily guarded; there was no way Ye Chutang could have slipped away unnoticed.
"At once, my lord."
"Wait—also bring everyone who was near Ningchu Courtyard within the last two incense sticks' time."
