Chapter 72 Xiao Shenjing had never been so out of control.

"Your Majesty!" Fu Shun, who had finally arrived, was so frightened that his voice changed.

Dao Yi was also greatly alarmed and quickly reached out to support him, "Your Majesty!"

Xiao Shenjing stared at the fire with bloodshot eyes and staggered towards the flames.

Yunxi.

Yunxi is still inside; he has to rescue her.

Fu Shun, trembling with fear, clung to Xiao Shenjing's leg, crying, "Your Majesty, we can't go! We can't go!"

"Get lost!" Xiao Shenjing kicked him away, the blood on his lips making his face contort for a moment.

But he had barely taken one step when Dao Yi and Dao Er pounced on him again, shouting, "Your Majesty, the fire is too big! We can't go in!"

"Let go!" Xiao Shenjing struggled, his neck veins bulging, his bloodshot eyes seemingly dripping blood. "Release me, or I'll exterminate your entire family!"

It sounded like the howl of a trapped beast, with a trembling quality in the final note.

The young emperor had never lost his composure like this before.

"Your Majesty," Dao Yi said, holding Xiao Shenjing tightly, "there's no way to go in now. We have to wait for the fire to be extinguished."

"Once the fire is out, once the fire is out, what about Yunxi?" He gripped Dao Yi's arm tightly, his eyes trembling as he asked, "Will Yunxi be rescued then?"

It was as if they were begging for Dao Yi's assurance.

But he knew it was impossible. With such a huge fire, how could Yunxi, who was chained up by him, possibly escape?

The emperor, who was always decisive and ruthless, had lost all reason at this moment.

Dao Yi's eyes flickered, and he didn't even dare to meet those scarlet eyes.

But he had to say, "Miss Yunxi is so clever, she might still be alive. If Your Majesty goes in now, who will protect her?"

These words made Xiao Shenjing pause in surprise.

Seeing that he seemed to have taken it to heart, Dao Yi braced himself and continued, "Your Majesty, if anything happens to you, the entire court will absolutely not let Miss Yunxi off the hook. She is carrying your child and needs your protection."

Xiao Shenjing blinked slowly, the towering flames burning silently in his eyes.

Slowly, he released Dao Yi's arm, almost murmuring, "Yes, I must live, I must protect her."

"She's always been full of passion, acting impulsively without considering the consequences. What will happen to her if I die?"

"She has no patience and cannot teach children; I must accompany her."

His distraught appearance made Dao Yi unable to bear to look at him any longer.

Dao Yi had been by Xiao Shenjing's side since childhood and had never seen him like this before.

Even after suffering hardship and being framed, he remained calm and composed, and was never crushed.

Even when he was forced into the mud, he could calmly brush away the filth and stand up from the mud.

But tonight everything has been shattered.

Dao Yi didn't even dare to say anything provocative anymore.

I fear that the mountain will collapse suddenly and never be the same again.

With the emperor present, almost all the palace maids and eunuchs rushed to put out the fire.

Xiao Shenjing kept his eyes fixed on the house on the left, his eyes reflecting the flickering firelight.

He looked too quiet, as if he had calmed down and regained his senses.

Both can be cut in half, and the blade is stretched to its limit.

Until the fire gradually shrunk and was completely extinguished.

The ignited night has been extinguished, flowing into the eternal alley like melted pine soot ink.

As soon as Dao Yi cut the other half, Xiao Shenjing released his grip and strode into the ruins.

The young emperor's boots trod across the scorching earth, his dark robes brushing against the still-smoking beams and pillars, the gold-embroidered dragon patterns stained with ashes. He crushed half a glazed tile, the cracks spreading like a spiderweb up to the moon, the moonlight seeping through the fissures, cutting tiny bloodstains in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, be careful." Before Fu Shun could finish speaking, Xiao Shenjing had already kicked open the wooden door, which had been burned to a crisp.

Rotten wood rustled as black snow fell, and he slowly looked toward the center of the house through the swirling ashes.

The roof beams had long since burned and collapsed, and the black ash everywhere had changed the appearance of the bed.

At first glance, Xiao Shenjing did not see Yunxi.

He suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next moment, he saw the iron chain on the wall pressed under the smoky roof beam.

He tilted his head slightly, as if he was too slow to understand what the chain was for.

He never came to see Yunxi again after she was banished to the cold palace.

So why are there such thick iron chains in the house?

He stood there, stunned, on the scorched earth, deep in thought.

As soon as Xiao Shenjing saw the beam under the roof, he immediately ordered the eunuchs to move it away.

His original intention was to prevent Xiao Shenjing from taking action, since even though the fire was out, the wood that had not been completely burned was still hot to the touch.

When the eunuchs, using handkerchiefs as pads, moved the roof beam that was lying across the mound of earth, wisps of black ash filled the room.

Most people instinctively closed their eyes, but Xiao Shenjing's body trembled violently. His wide eyes were bloodshot, and at this moment it was as if he was being pierced by a thousand arrows.

"Yunxi"

Fu Shun was stunned for a moment, and then looked down at the mound of earth. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise.

Beneath the moved beam, a human figure was curled up, its body charred black, its waist bent into an abnormal arc in the flames.

A thick, red iron chain hung from his clenched fist.

They were burned alive, inch by inch, in excruciating pain but unable to break free, unable to escape even in death.

Xiao Shenjing's mind went blank for a moment, his blood boiled instantly, and he was scalded and in excruciating pain all over his body.

He didn't know how he got to the charred corpse.

When he knelt down, his hands trembling as he reached out to touch it, he no longer touched soft, smooth skin, but rather charred skin that crackled like dry leaves.

The outstretched hand trembled violently in mid-air.

The blood and froth rising in his throat were swallowed back down, but instead, they choked him, causing a crimson fog to fill his vision.

At that moment, the world turned blood red.

Xiao Shenjing withdrew his hand, not daring to touch it again, for fear that if he touched it even a little more, he would not be able to piece her together properly.

Amidst a cloud of blood, he stared at the charred corpse before him as if regaining consciousness. He suddenly turned to look at the group of people behind him and said decisively, "This is definitely not Yunxi."

His jaw was taut like a bowstring about to snap; it would break at the slightest touch.

Amidst the ruins, no one dared to speak, staring at the emperor's bloodshot eyes.

They didn't even dare to look each other in the eye.

With his limbs bound by iron chains, how could he escape?

Everyone else knew that the charred corpse was Yunxi, but Xiao Shenjing refused to admit it.

But no one dared to speak.

“Yes, this definitely can’t be Yunxi. She must have escaped and hidden herself.” Xiao Shenjing became more and more convinced as he spoke. He staggered to his feet, pushed away Fu Shun’s hand that tried to help him, and almost roared at Dao Yi, “Go! Even if you have to turn this entire Forbidden City upside down, you must find Yunxi!”

He pointed at everyone, his expression contorting for a moment on the scorched earth in the night, "Everyone, go find them for me!"

Dao hesitated, wanting to speak.

"What are you all standing there for?" the emperor roared furiously. "Get out of here and find her! If you can't find her, I'll take all your lives!"

Upon hearing this, no one dared to hesitate any longer.

They immediately scattered in panic.

In the blink of an eye, only Fu Shun and Dao Yi remained standing beside Xiao Shenjing, too afraid to leave.

"With her superb martial arts skills and so many clever ideas, there's no way she could die like this!"

Xiao Shenjing shook his head, becoming more and more certain as he spoke, "She must be hiding now, secretly watching me make a fool of myself." His bloodshot eyes suddenly swept around, "Yunxi, you come out here for me."

However, the pitch-black night was so quiet that there was not a single response.

It's like a huge, empty tomb.

Xiao Shenjing seemed utterly disgusted by the silence. He took a few quick steps forward and called out, "Yunxi, come out here!"

Only the night wind howled.

"I know you're angry, angry that I treated you like this, so you don't want to talk to me, right?"

Xiao Shenjing spread his arms, looking around in a panic, and explained, "If I don't throw you into the Cold Palace, how can I protect you? If you don't believe me, come out and I'll explain it to you, okay?"

Xiao Shenjing seemed convinced that his idea was correct.

"Yunxi, please come out first, okay?" He lowered his voice, as if to soothe her. "If you come out first, I will never be angry with you again this time, nor will I punish you, as long as you come out."

In the deathly silence, no one paid him any attention.

"Yunxi, can you hear me? Please come out."

The thickest black sediment settled in the ruins of Yongxiang, as if it had swallowed up all the sounds of heaven and earth.

The world was too quiet, so quiet that the young emperor's throat tightened and his eyes welled up with tears.

"Yunxi, come out here." As if unable to bear it any longer, he roared in exasperation, "This time, I truly won't punish you in anger anymore."

Seeing Xiao Shenjing like this, Fu Shun was terrified and extremely worried. "This servant will help you back to the Qianqing Palace first."

Seeing that he ignored her completely, Fu Shun could only lie, "The Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs are all looking for Miss Yunxi. I believe they will find her soon."

Xiao Shenjing's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly turned his head to look steadily at Fu Shun.

Upon meeting those reddened phoenix eyes, Fu Shun felt a chill run down his spine.

This feeling is like being targeted by a wild beast; if you anger it even slightly, it will lose its mind and bite your throat without hesitation.

"Your Majesty," Fu Shun said, swallowing hard involuntarily. "This servant will help you back to freshen up."

As he spoke, he pointed somewhat clumsily to the hem of Xiao Shenjing's clothes.

Following his fingertips, Xiao Shenjing slowly lowered his head and saw the hem of his clothes stained with scorched earth.

If I were to meet Yunxi in such unkempt attire, she would surely ridicule me mercilessly.

As if imagining Yun Xi's beaming expression, Xiao Shenjing silently held his breath, his tightly clenched lips curving slightly upward.

He couldn't give her the chance to laugh at him.

"Let's go back to the Qianqing Palace."

Fu Shun was overjoyed.

He quickly ordered his men to bring the sedan chair up.

Before getting into the sedan chair, Xiao Shenjing slowly turned around and glanced hastily at the charred corpse on the ground. "Prepare it for burial and give it a proper rest."

After saying that, he got into the sedan chair without looking back.

Back to the Qianqing Palace.

Fu Shun, who had witnessed Xiao Shenjing vomiting blood, was very worried. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, let the imperial physician examine you."

Xiao Shenjing stood in the bedroom, slowly raised his eyes, and glanced at Fushun at the door.

This glance was so ordinary that nothing seemed amiss.

"No need, I'm fine."

Fu Shun stared at the bloodstains on his lips, wanting to say something, but Xiao Shenjing spoke up and ordered him to take a bath.

Seeing that His Majesty showed no signs of distress, Fu Shun should have been relieved.

But I don't know why my heart feels like it's hanging in mid-air, and I'm terrified at the slightest disturbance.

It was like the calm before the storm.

He lowered his voice and instructed the palace maids and eunuchs on night duty, "No one is allowed to doze off tonight. Keep a close eye on everything that happens in the palace. If anything happens, come find me immediately."

The night was as thick and sticky as melted beeswax. The young emperor stood before a twelve-panel screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl, his gaze sweeping over the twelve sets of plain-colored everyday clothes hanging behind the silk curtains. Yunxi loved his love of white, especially the cool white that resembled moonlight.

"Bring me a plain silk undershirt," Xiao Shenjing ordered calmly.

Soon, half of his plain white undergarment was reflected in the bronze mirror, but it was three parts more murky than the moonlight. He frowned with disgust and called over the female official in charge of clothing: "Make it whiter."

The palace maid trembled as she presented the Snow Soul Satin, a fabric rumored to reflect a person's image and eye color. Xiao Shenjing, however, stared at the silver thread pattern along the collar and suddenly said, "She detests intricate patterns."

At midnight, the moonlight condensed into frost on the floor tiles of the Qianqing Palace.

Xiao Shenjing sat upright on the dragon-patterned folding chair, in the very center of the sleeping quarters, facing the main entrance.

A moment later, he untied and then put back on the jade pendant at his waist. By the seventh time he adjusted his cuffs, the ice mirror in the bedchamber had melted away the last drop of cold.

Time seemed to stand still in this vast palace.

Only the cold, thin moonlight moved slowly, receding further and further from the tall figure in the house.

At the third quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), the young emperor rose, smoothed out non-existent wrinkles on his Taoist robe, and called out, "Fu Shun."

Outside the door, Eunuch Fu immediately responded, "This servant is here."

The word "They found" stuck in Yunxi's throat, but he seemed unable to bear it.

After a few breaths, he continued, "Have you found her?"

"Your Majesty, we are still searching," Fu Shun replied, bowing.

There was no movement in the hall for a long time.

Fu Shun nervously looked up.

Sitting in the hall, Xiao Shenjing seemed so dangerous that it sent chills down my spine.

He almost couldn't breathe after just one glance.

He quickly lowered his head, hoping that His Majesty would wake up soon.

Everyone knows that Yunxi has been burned to death, but even if you gave them ten heads, they wouldn't dare to say it.

Under the emperor's powerful pressure, Fu Shun thought he would suffer a thunderous wrath, but Xiao Shenjing simply waved his hand and said, "Keep searching. The palace gates are closed at night, she definitely can't escape."

Fu Shun could only nod stiffly.

The night seemed to stretch on endlessly.

But even the longest night will eventually give way to dawn.

The emperor waited all night in the Qianqing Palace, but when he did not receive news that Yunxi had been found, his expression remained calm and he did not show any anger.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Xiao Shenjing calmly stood up from his dragon-patterned chair and said, "Change your clothes, it's time for me to go to court."

Outside the door, Fu Shun subconsciously looked at Xiao Shenjing.

The emperor, who had waited all night, showed no unusual expression.

Seeing that Fu Shun didn't move, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why aren't you moving?"

Fu Shun's throat bobbed, and looking at the 'normal' Xiao Shenjing, his voice trembled with unease: "Your Majesty, today is the fifth day of the court recess."