Chapter 88 The Faint Voice

Jingren Palace

"You mean the Emperor went too?" Yixiu paused in her writing, a dark ink dot appearing on the perfectly good character "顺" (shun). She looked up at Jiang Fuhai in disbelief.

"That's a fire! How can Your Majesty get close? What if... what if you fall?" She leaned forward urgently, her brows furrowed as she stood up.

What if the Emperor were to slip on the road in front of Zhongcui Palace?

“Is that child really that important, worth the Emperor risking his life time and time again? It was during the epidemic, and it is this time too.” She clenched her fist, quite indignant, her eyes revealing a look of bewilderment.

Jianqiu pursed her lips and looked up at the Empress's reaction—"Your Majesty, since the Emperor has gone, should we go and see him too?"

"No!" Yixiu replied resolutely without hesitation, "It would be too deliberate for us to go now. The Qing Huobing was sent away by Nian Gengyao, and the Consort Xian fell at the entrance of Zhongcui Palace. It has nothing to do with me... No, let's go find the Empress Dowager!"

——

Yinzhen stood facing the gate of the Cold Palace, with two guards standing side by side in front of him. The raging fire reflected in his dark eyes as if frozen, revealing a hidden killing intent in an ambiguous and unclear way.

What a fine Nian Gengyao! He was truly remarkable. First, he summoned all the imperial physicians from the palace, but when the Empress fell ill, there was no one to treat her. Then, he summoned all the Qing soldiers, but when the palace caught fire, they were unable to provide any assistance.

Consort Xian, wiping away her tears, leaned against An Lingrong, murmuring incessantly, "You'er is only five years old and has to suffer so much, from the plague to the fire. You'er has been intelligent, obedient and sensible since childhood. I would rather not have given birth to him. Even if he couldn't enter the imperial family and enjoy wealth, he could have grown up safely and peacefully, instead of suffering one crime after another."

As he was saying this, he beat his chest and stamped his feet, about to rush forward again, but An Lingrong quickly grabbed him and comforted him, "Your Majesty, Hongzhao was born with auspicious signs. He survived the plague, and this time he will surely turn misfortune into good fortune as well."

Although she was trying to comfort them, she didn't feel very confident looking at the raging fire with thick black smoke and hearing the clear sound of breaking wood inside.

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen took two deep breaths, his chest heaving violently. He deliberately shifted his body to try and ease the tension in his heart. Only after opening his mouth did he realize that his short fingernails had already dug deeply into his palm.

"A bunch of useless bastards! I've raised you all, and now you can't even break down a door!" With nowhere to vent his rage, he pointed at the two guards in front of him and said, "What are you doing standing here! Go break down the door, go put out the fire! Even if you can't break down the door, climb over the wall and bring Hongzhao out."

He shifted uncomfortably, his lips tightening, his gaze lowered, and he spoke with an air of superiority, "Today, the person on duty at the machine room is..."

Su Peisheng quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it is Lord Zhang Tong."

"Execute him." Yinzhen raised his head, forcing himself to look at the ever-growing fire in front of him, and said lightly, "All his subordinates shall be dismissed and investigated."

"If you're so eager to serve in the prefecture last year, then go ahead and do it."

Lu Jiaying listened from the side, clutching her stomach and shedding tears. Seeing the Emperor get angry, she frowned, her eyes darting around, and she continued to sob, "How could it be such a coincidence! Why would Hongzhao come to the Cold Palace in the middle of the night, and just then the Cold Palace caught fire, and coincidentally, everyone was summoned away from there as soon as the fire started."

Overwhelmed with emotion, she knelt before the Emperor. Her body swayed slightly from the weight, and she clutched the black boots before her with a sorrowful expression, one hand tightly gripping the hem of her bright yellow robe. She practically sank into the dust—"Your Majesty, I beg you to investigate! I beg you to give Hongzhao justice! Hongzhao tells me every day that his father will protect him, Your Majesty!"

Yinzhen had naturally heard these words before. Right outside the Imperial Study, he clearly heard the pride in his child's voice as he said to his two little companions, "With Father Emperor here, I'm not afraid of anything."

He closed his eyes, the words still echoing in his ears. He looked up and wiped his eyes, thinking he was being discreet. He bent down and pulled the person into his arms. He wanted to speak but felt a lump in his throat. He said in a hoarse voice, "Hongzhao is my most valued son. I assure you, I will give him justice."

"Our Hongzhao will definitely be safe." He said this with certainty, whether to comfort the heartbroken Consort Xian in his arms or to calm his own wildly beating heart.

Just moments ago, one could hear the constant wailing of the people inside, but as time passed, even those faint sounds could no longer be heard.

Could he really just stand by and watch his child be burned to ashes in this tiny space?

Are the auspicious omens bestowed upon him by Heaven destined to vanish just like that?

"It's broken! It's broken!" He was breathing heavily, lost in thought, when a shout made him look up abruptly. He saw that the door, which had been tightly closed, was now bent inwards by a large section, with broken wood sticking out from the gaps, and its exterior was charred beyond recognition.

He waved away the guards who wanted to step forward to protect him and walked straight ahead. No one dared to open the door while the emperor was standing there, not even Yinzhen himself. He was afraid that what he would see after pushing it open was a completely different Hongzhao.

He would rather it be a joke, that someone lied to him and Consort Xian, and that he would rather be a fool who was completely played than actually lose his You'er.

A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. He frowned, clenched his fist, and without further hesitation, pushed the door open.

With a creak, half of the door was smashed beyond recognition. It fell off completely with the slightest movement, and the wooden door, sparks flying, slowly tilted inward with a loud thud, instantly raising a cloud of dust that obscured the view inside.

Yinzhen waved his sleeve, squinted, and peeked inside. Su Peisheng stepped forward to stop him but was shoved hard and stumbled.

The first thing that caught his eye was the half-charred female corpse closest to the door. He couldn't recognize her because of her disheveled appearance. Yinzhen glanced at her but then turned his gaze away and searched inside.

He didn't recognize her, but Lu Jiaying behind him could see clearly that this was Consort Li, who had been Nian Shilan's scapegoat for the false pregnancy. A woman once known for her beauty was now dying such a tragic death. She took two steps forward, holding her belly, and released the handkerchief she had been holding, which fluttered down and covered her face.

Looking at the devastation in the courtyard, her hatred intensified. She cleared her throat and spoke urgently, "You'er! My child! The people here are burned like this, my child..."

Her cries only made Yinzhen's heart sink further. He felt as if he were shrouded in gloom. Staring at the broken walls and ruins, feeling the heat and choking smoke, his nose tingled and his eyes welled up with tears.

It is said that emperors do not shed tears easily, but he has repeatedly broken his vow for this adorable child.

"Shiro."

A faint sound seemed to come from beyond the heavens, vaguely reaching Yinzhen's mind, but upon closer listening, it was not quite clear.

That voice… Yinzhen suddenly snapped back to reality, and stammered, “…Wanwan?”

"Shiro."

The voice didn't answer, but called out again. He lifted his feet and followed the sound, getting closer and closer to the fire, but he didn't stop at all.

In his heart, his beloved wife had died young and his son had died young. At this moment, the calls seemed to strike his heartstrings. For the first time, he felt that he could not control his actions and only wanted to go to the place where it happened.

Once the Emperor stepped inside, everyone else naturally followed, with palace maids and guards carrying buckets of water all rushing in at once.

The narrow wooden doors of the Cold Palace offered limited views, but once inside, the view opened up dramatically, making the plight of everyone more apparent.

"Hey! You...you all look!" The young eunuch who first discovered it was shaking his leg and pointing tremblingly at the place where the fire was most severe, shouting.

Everyone looked over and saw a small figure lying on the ground with his hands tied behind his back, looking as peaceful as if he were asleep.

Yinzhen's eyes narrowed and he quickly stepped forward, covering his mouth and nose with one hand and bending down with the other to pick up the child on the ground. When he got closer, his eyes narrowed. He saw that in the charred palace, only this patch of grass was still green. Hongzhao's clothes were burned to a few pieces of rags, but his fair and delicate skin was still exposed, without any burn scars.

Without thinking twice, he scooped the person up and held him in his arms, striding out, unsure of how to handle this precious person he had just regained.

"Quickly summon the imperial physician!"

He walked all the way to the main hall of Zhongcui Palace without stopping, pressing his face against the forehead of the child in his arms as he spoke, feeling the child's steady breathing. Only then did his large hand, which had been gripping his heart, finally relax.

The child in her arms slowly woke up, looked at his father who was so close to him, and gave him a weak but trusting smile. His tone was very firm: "I knew that I would come to save you."

“Father, your son dreamed of the Emperor, and also dreamed of a beautiful lady holding a plum branch, telling her son to hold on and wait for your arrival.”