Empress Demeika swiftly took charge of the situation, instructing two of her own handmaidens to attend to the Highness and carry her to her private bedroom chamber.
Her motive was clear. She wanted her handmaidens to handle the Highness, bypassing Dai Yu's trusted ones, Er Fen and Yin Er. Aware that latter two were always close to the Highness and be by her side, Demeika deliberately dismissed them along with others and Eunuch Lin.
Once the Highness was safely settled in bed, still unconscious, she finally made her move. With calculated precision, she sent one of her handmaidens to fetch Hu Qi while discreetly dismissing the other.
Arriving at the exclusive private bedroom, Hu Qi felt anxious and excited.
For he had been waiting for this moment, ever though a childhood incident left him at the mercy of the Highness and her late parents. Now, as an adult, he felt more confident and determined not to repeat past mistakes. For the opportunity was now his to seize.
"Her Majesty, you can leave the Highness to me now," He assured Empress Demeika confidently.
Despite her annoyance and clear understanding of Hu Qi's intentions, Demeika departed without saying anything, leaving him alone with sleeping Highness.
Now alone in the chamber, he approached the elegant bed where the Highness laid. Drawing closer, he could not help but admire her serene beauty, even in slumber. With careful movements, he removed the blanket, his heart pounding with nerves.
A slight movement from the Highness caused a momentary alarm to surge through him, but he quickly pushed the feeling aside. He was committed to seeing his plan through. With his steady right hand, he reached out to touch her shoulder with intention to remove her clothes.
Before he could act further, her eyes suddenly snapped open, catching him off guard and freezing him in place.
Though Princess Dai Yu felt sleepy and fell into unconsciousness, her mind remained sharp and vigilant, a testament to years of rigorous training at Dai Academy from child to adult.
Hence when she sensed movement around her, her senses immediately sharpened, and she stirred from her slumber. Unlike most, she did not require long periods of rest to replenish her energy even in moments of repose.
With sudden clarity, she found herself facing the lecherous countenance of Hu Qi, the Grand Chancellor's nephew, closing in on her as though he intended to steal a kiss. In an instant, her instincts kicked in, and she reacted on natural reflexes by delivering a swift slap to his face.
Then with a well-aimed kick at his stomach, she sent him tumbling from the bed, her long strong leg propelling him away with a force developed from years of workouts and martial arts.
Truth being said, this was not the first time he harboured ill intentions toward her, which explained her aloofness and desire to evade him in their previous Garden Hall meeting.
Rising to her feet and eyes narrowed on him in suspicion, she asked: "What are you doing and how did I end up here?"
Panicked, Hu Qi attempted to retreat. But Dai Yu swiftly closed in on him, mirroring his earlier approach. She blocked his escape route, brandishing and pointing her dagger at his throat.
"Tell me now!" She yelled, her determination evident as she thrusted the dagger threateningly, a thin line of blood beginning to trickle from beneath Hu Qi's chin.
Despite the dire situation, Hu Qi attempted to calm Dai Yu and defend himself, though he knew his efforts were in vain.
"Your Highness, you... don't... have to do this. We can... discuss calmly." he stammered; his voice tinged with desperation.
But Dai Yu remained resolute, her anger undiminished. "With lechers like you, there is nothing to discuss!" She retorted sharply. "Speak before I slit your throat!"
Her tone left no room for negotiation, and Hu Qi realized he was truly at her mercy.
Amid the tense situation, Yin Er burst into the chamber, accompanied by two guards and Eunuch Lin. Following closely behind was Empress Demeika and her handmaidens, drawn by the commotion.
"What's going on?" Demeika inquired, her eyes scanning the scene before her.
Dai Yu kept her gaze fixed on Hu Qi, her grip on the dagger unwavering as she replied firmly: "Hu Qi tried to rape me while I was asleep. I had to defend myself. Now that you are here, Her Majesty, I let you deal with him."
She retracted her dagger and returned it to its sheath on her wrist belt - an emblem of her personal self-defence and weapon she also wielded during the Dai Unity festival with Lady Li Shi on boathouse.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" Yin Er asked with concern. "I was worried about you and feared something bad might happen. So I came here with two guards and Eunuch Lin."
"Good job, Yin Er!" Dai Yu acknowledged and praised her maid's quick thinking with gratitude before commanding the guards. "Guards, seize Hu Qi now!"
The guards promptly moved to apprehend him.
Only to be promptly halted by Empress interjecting: "Please hold on!"
Forging ignorance, Demeika asked: "Aren't you Hu Qi, nephew of Grand Chancellor Premier Hu? What are you doing here?"
"Her Majesty, I am…actually…looking for you," Hu Qi tried to defend himself. "But I did not expect the Highness to be here instead."
Kneeling before Princess Dai Yu, her handmaiden, Eunuch Lin, and the guards, he offered a halting apology. "Your Highness, I am sorry if my earlier actions caused you alarm."
But Dai Yu saw through his facade, her unwavering resolve unshaken by his attempts at reconciliation.
"Hu Qi, this was not your first nor second but third mistake." she admonished. "What you just told Her Majesty is a lousy and inexcusable lie for your real intentions and actions."
"Your Highness…" As Hu Qi faltered in his response, Demeika stepped in, attempting to diffuse the tension, saying; "I think he's not intentional but just a misunderstanding.".
"Misunderstanding? When I woke up, he was closing in on me." Dai Yu remained resolute. "Her Majesty, pardon me for being direct. If you were in my shoes, will you not do the same as woman?"
Turning back to Hu Qi, she continued: ""Of what you did to me as a child, I can keep one eye closed since we were kids. The same for you trespassing Dai Garden Hall without my permission. But for your actions today, they are clearly unforgivable and inexcusable! Consider yourself lucky to have Her Majesty speaking up for you."
"Your Highness, this is a serious matter that could bring him and his uncle down." Demeika pleaded for leniency on Hu Qi's behalf. "For my sake, can you forgive him again?"
"No! This is a request I cannot grant even to you as Her Majesty. As you said before, you are not from Dai Dynasty and don't know him as well as I do. If I forgive him, he will repeat the same mistakes. Eunuch Lin!"
"Yes, your Highness?" Eunuch Lin asked.
"Give Hu Qi twenty tight slaps on his face on his bended knees!" Dai Yu ordered him.
"Understood, your Highness!"
Finally turning back to Empress Demeika, she maintained her stand: "Her Majesty, with all due respect, I must punish Hu Qi for his actions today. This is my final decision and please do not persuade me further!"
"How dare you! I'm the Grand Chancellor's nephew!" Hu Qi protested despite being made to kneel by the two guards.
"Hu Qi, you heard the Highness. It will best for you to bear the consequences right now than to be executed if the Highness informed the Majesty as well." Demeika now advised and warned him.
"Her Majesty, now that I am fine and if you have nothing important for me, I like to leave now." Dai Yu said before taking a bow and departing with her handmaiden Yin Er.
"Her Majesty, you are not going to stand by and watch me get punished?" Hu Qi made his last desperate plea.
"Hu Qi, I cannot help you anymore." Demeika clarified her stand as well. "You came up with this idea, failed and deserved to suffer the consequences!"
Turning to Eunuch Lin, she ordered: "Proceed to carry out the Highness's instructions!"
Before she too left with her handmaidens.
Seething his rage and swallowing his ego, Hu Qi had no choice but to allow himself to be slapped by Eunuch Lin twenty times on each side of his face while being made to bend on his knees by the guards.
After the unsettling events in the private chamber, his frustration reached a boiling point.
Carrying the golden jug and determined to seek answers, he briskly made his way to confront Empress Demeika in the main chamber through elevator. His mind raced with questions, demanding an explanation for the unexpected turn of events.
Upon reaching the upper floor and facing her, who now sat upon her podium throne, he wasted no time in pressing for answers: "Her Majesty, what is going on? Did you dissolve the pills into the jug?"
Demeika's response was firm and emotionless. "Of course, I did. What else do you expect?"
"Then how come the Highness woke up all of a sudden and threatened to kill me?" He questioned in demanding tone, struggling to comprehend the situation as his frustration intensified.
Demeika, clearly displeased at being interrogated in such a manner, responded with a counter-question of her own. "How do I know?"
Undeterred, Hu Qi took the jug and brought it closer to his nose, hoping to find some clue amidst the turmoil. "How come there's no fragrance?" He questioned; his voice tinged with frustration. "According to my aunt, once the pills are fully dissolved, they will produce a strong fragrance. But I don't smell any."
The Empress remained silent, her silence speaking volumes as his realization dawned upon him. Pouring the contents of the jug into a nearby bowl, he watched as the four red pills emerged from the water, confirming his suspicions.
"Her Majesty! Haven't I told you to crush these pills before dissolving them in water?" He exclaimed, his frustration boiling over. "Since you did not follow my instructions, of course the wine won't have any effects on the Highness at all!"
But Demeika was quick to deflect blame by saying: "Hey Hu Qi! Do not blame me for your failure. I was about to when Eunuch Lin suddenly announced the Highness's arrival. If you want to blame, blame your bad luck!"
With tensions running high and their scheme in shambles, a tense silence settled between them, each grappling with the repercussions of their failed plan.
"What? My sister, the Highness, has run away!"
Emperor Dai Zhong could not believe what he just heard from his sister's handmaiden Pei Shan, who stood before him in his study chamber, her eyes downcast. Her voice trembled as she delivered the shocking news.
"I'm afraid so, Your Majesty," Pei Shan replied, her face a mask of distress. "When I delivered breakfast to her, she was nowhere to be seen."
His gaze hardened as he turned to the maid and Eunuch Lin, both of whom had been assigned to watch over his sister and report her movements. Rising from his chamber throne, he rebuked them sharply, his voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Haven't I told you both to monitor and report her movements to me? How can you both be so incompetent on such a simple task?"
Sensing his growing frustration, Empress Demeika stepped forward, her expression one of annoyance. "Your Majesty, I hate to say this, but your sister the Highness has been rebellious lately.
First, she walked out halfway through our previous meeting in my chamber. Then in our last meeting, I only wanted to verify an issue regarding one of the palace maids' suspicious activities, but she turned me down."
The Grand Chancellor, standing nearby, interjected thoughtfully, "Could she already learned what happened to Li Neng Yuan and now looking for him? Do you want me to mount a full-scale search for her?"
"No need, Grand Chancellor." Dai Zhong raised his hand to dismiss the suggestion. His voice was firm, but there was an underlying tension.
"But in spite of her defiance, the Highness is still your sister!" Demeika protested. "Aren't you worried about her? What if word gets out and people think we are ill-treating her?"
"Even if I am worried about her, what do you want me to do?" Dai Zhong asked, frustration edging his voice. "Though she is my sister, she is no longer a child. Her Majesty, since you are not from the Dai Dynasty, you may not be familiar with our Dai Academy education and military training culture. It is not just for us to defend our kingdom but themselves against all other challenges.
Since my sister chose this path, she is now on her own. Her fate is no longer our concern."
"But your Majesty, what if she finds Li Neng Yuan and something happens to them?" The Grand Chancellor asked cautiously, aware of the delicate nature of their schemes, especially in the presence of Empress Demeika.
"If that is the case, we must give in to fate. In my last meeting with her, I already told her not everything in life is within our control, but she chose not to listen. As to what people might say and spread as rumours, haven't your sister…" Dai Zhong turned to his wife, completing his question, "...recently come here to collect taxes on your father's behalf?"
"Yes, so?" Demeika asked, her face indignant at the mention of her sister.
"So, I want you to announce that the Highness has now been sent to accompany your sister back to Shibeibu Empire and will not be back until further notice.This may not be the best answer, but it is helpful for our peace relations in the long term. This will also be my final decision. You can all leave now."
After everyone had departed, Dai Zhong remained deep in thought about his sister.
Despite being worried, he reminded himself that as Majesty, he had to make hard decisions, even about his family, to maintain his power, just as he had dealt with his older brother.
Later that day, Empress Demeika ordered a thorough investigation of the Highness's chambers.
The search revealed a secret passageway hidden behind one of the walls and hole covered by concrete debris, confirming that she had escaped through a tunnel.
Grasping this critical information, Demeika decided to dispatch Hu Qi and his uncle's men to track down and capture the Highness, dead or alive.