Chapter 23 Emptying the Palace
After walking for so long and collecting so many things, to be honest, she was really tired and hungry.
Having just seen so many delicious foods, she has been wanting to eat them for a long time.
I quickly put them all into the space. I felt a little regretful at first, but then I saw a eunuch holding a plate of emerald green bean cakes.
She directly took a piece of cake and put it into her mouth, smacking her lips after eating it.
This scared the young eunuch holding the plate. He watched helplessly as the cakes on the plate disappeared one after another in his hands.
He was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder, dropped the plate in his hand, and ran out, shouting, "There's...there's...there's a ghost!"
The palace maids and eunuchs who were busy with their work also stopped.
As a result, they saw that all the dishes that were originally placed on the long table were gone.
Seeing that there was nothing left to eat, Xia Xing'er started to pack up again.
The radishes, harvested, the potatoes, harvested, the beef, harvested, the venison...
Everyone watched as the things in the kitchen disappeared one after another, but no one was seen.
The timid ones fainted from fear, while others ran away screaming like the little eunuch...
The imperial kitchen at this moment can only be described as a mess...
The culprit, Xia Xing'er, has now arrived at the Imperial Hospital.
There were two imperial physicians on duty in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and they were sleeping on the table.
In order to help them sleep better, Xia Xing'er kindly gave them some sleeping pills.
No matter what medicine it is, it has been collected...
Finally, we went to the Garment Department and raided it again.
Xia Xing'er returned home contentedly and fell into a sweet sleep. She was really tired that night.
The families she visited were in chaos and turmoil...
now
Palace of Heavenly Purity
Emperor Shunkang was wearing only his inner garments and standing barefoot, looking down at the Imperial Guard Commander Tang Biao, the Imperial Guard Commander Zhou Ting, and the Imperial Household Manager Nie Dahai who were kneeling on the ground.
He suppressed his anger, and there was a murderous look in his eyes.
Who could have thought that he, the king of a country, would have his house robbed, leaving him with nothing except his inner clothes. If it weren't for his inner clothes, he would have had nothing to wear today.
"Can anyone tell me how the thieves emptied the entire palace right under your noses?"
Emperor Shunkang glanced at them sharply. "Or are you in league with the thieves? Together, you emptied the entire palace."
He really couldn't imagine what kind of thief could break into the palace and steal not just one or two items, but empty the place out completely.
There are so many treasures in his private treasury, some of which were left by emperors of past dynasties, and most of which were accumulated by himself.
The most important thing is that the imperial seal and the dragon throne were also stolen.
How could he not be angry? He just wanted to find the thief, punish his entire clan, dismember him, and grind his bones to dust.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. This is truly not what we did!"
After Nie Dahai finished speaking, he knocked Tou to the ground.
"Your Majesty, please understand. Even if I had ten times the courage, I would not dare to collude with these thieves!"
The guard commander Zhou Ting continued.
"I have also asked the imperial guards on duty, and they didn't see anyone. Everything seemed to have vanished into thin air. This is not something an ordinary person could do. Your Majesty, please make a wise decision!"
Just as Tang Biao finished his report, he heard a flurry of footsteps outside the hall, followed by one crying and wailing female voice after another.
"Your Majesty, you must take care of this concubine. I don't know where these thieves came from and emptied my palace!"
"His Majesty……"
In an instant, all kinds of people from the harem gathered in the Qianqing Palace, from the empress to the concubines, all of them were in disheveled clothes and looked terrified.
The Queen Mother was supported by Aunt Hua, and her expression was solemn. Although she did not cry like them, it was obvious that she was quite unhappy.
The Queen was the first to kneel on the ground, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Your Majesty, all the treasures in my palace have been lost, even my most beloved phoenix crown. This is such a great humiliation, I simply cannot bear it!"
Immediately afterwards, several concubines knelt down one after another, crying one after another, as if they wanted to vent out their pent-up fear and helplessness.
One of the concubines burst into tears and kept repeating, "Your Majesty, my jewelry and the painting of a beautiful woman passed down from my ancestors are all gone..."
For the Queen Mother, those gold and silver jewelry, brocade and silk...
It doesn’t matter if you lose it. You can’t bring those things with you when you are born and you can’t take them with you when you die.
The most important thing is that the hateful thief actually stole the painting in her secret room, which she really couldn't stand.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely solemn. The flickering candlelight illuminated the frightened faces.
Emperor Shunkang's face was ashen, and his eyes were like torches as he scanned the harem people who were kneeling below. The anger in his heart was like a raging flame whipped up by a strong wind, almost engulfing the magnificent palace.
The Queen Mother slowly stepped forward, her voice weary but majestic: "Your Majesty, this matter is of no small importance. It not only concerns the reputation of the royal family, but also the safety of the country. If the thieves were able to empty the palace so quietly, the forces behind them should not be underestimated." Her words echoed in the empty hall, making the already tense atmosphere even more oppressive.
Upon hearing this, the empress and concubines all lowered their heads and shed tears, not daring to speak a word, for fear that a wrong word would incur the emperor's wrath.
It was only after they finished crying that they realized that the emperor was even more miserable than they were. At least they still had a coat and shoes to wear.
However, Emperor Shunkang could only wear his inner clothes and had no socks on his feet.
Looking inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity, it was also completely empty, without even a stool left.
Emperor Shunkang asked everyone in the harem to go back first. He was now extremely worried and the national treasury had been emptied.
Although he was incompetent, he did not want the Xuanyuan Dynasty to be destroyed in his hands.
"Zhou Ting, Tang Biao, and Nie Dahai, I order the three of you to join forces with the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Supreme Court, and the Minister of War. Together, you must do your utmost to investigate the whereabouts of the thief. If you cannot find the thief, you will be beheaded. I will show you no mercy!"
The three men took the order and retreated quickly, feeling relieved that their lives were temporarily saved.
Hall of Supreme Harmony
The ministers are waiting for the emperor's morning court session.
When everyone looked at the high platform where the dragon throne was originally placed, they were shocked to see that it was empty.
This was the thought of most officials, while some officials were thinking, "The throne has also been stolen!"
We have to tell them the truth, the throne was indeed stolen!
Look at their clothes again, they are all wearing the same white inner garments, and the shoes on their feet are what servants in the mansion usually wear, which look extremely ill-fitting.
This made the officials who usually did not get along with them feel very happy, and they did not forget to make a few remarks to criticize them.
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