The empress's nostrils flared in anger as she stood face-to-face with her husband, the emperor, Wang Li. "I told you my source is extremely reliable," she said between gritted teeth.
They stood in the throne room, and because the room was mostly empty, their words echoed around the chamber. Only the Emperor's bodyguards and a handful of eunuchs were present and pressed inconspicuously against the walls. Captain Yongli had been called and was now standing at attention a respectful distance from the royal couple.
It was Captain Yongli who had nervously questioned the reliability of the empress's informant. He assumed that MeiLan had taken her wild accusations directly to the empress. Was there no end to the trouble that the girl would cause him? Now he faced the angry wrath of the empress because he dared to question her sources.