Chapter 75 Harming in Secret
Inside the imperial study, Chu Huaiyu had just finished reviewing the memorials and lay down on the couch when he heard Eunuch Wei's urgent voice.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Chengqian Palace is on fire!"
"What?!"
Chu Huaiyu abruptly threw off the covers, not caring that she was still wearing her nightgown, and ran outside as fast as she could.
"Your Majesty, please don't worry," Eunuch Wei hurriedly followed.
The news of the fire at Chengqian Palace also reached Du Xianyue.
Her face darkened. How could Chengqian Palace have caught fire at this exact moment? It was such a coincidence!
She's only just become pregnant, is Lu Zhaoxue already so eager to steal the Emperor's attention?
She secretly vowed in her heart that she would definitely drive that bitch Lu Zhaoxue out of the palace!
What belongs to Du Xianyue, no one can take away!
The fire in Chengqian Palace was gradually extinguished, leaving the palace in chaos.
Chu Huaiyu rushed into the palace, her voice trembling: "Where is the Imperial Concubine?"
"Your Majesty, the Empress...the Empress is still inside the palace..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Chu Huaiyu rushed inside without a second thought.
Eunuch Wei was so frightened that he screamed and quickly led his guards to follow.
The hall was in a mess, with charred items scattered everywhere.
Chu Huaiyu's heart was gripped tightly as he walked deeper into the palace.
"Zhaoxue... Zhaoxue, where are you?"
In a daze, Lu Zhaoxue heard someone calling her and reached out as if to grab something.
Just as her arm was about to fall, she was tightly grasped by a pair of warm hands.
"Zhaoxue, how are you? Can you hear me?"
Chu Huaiyu looked at her injured appearance, his eyes filled with bloodlust.
He picked her up and strode out of the palace, shouting, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
"Sister..." Upon seeing this, Lu Zhaoxing rushed forward immediately, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Lu Zhaoxue was still alive.
Since Chengqian Palace was no longer habitable, Chu Huaiyu took Lu Zhaoxue to his own bedroom.
After a careful examination, the imperial physician reported truthfully: "The Imperial Concubine only has minor injuries, except for burn marks on her right leg..."
"Is her life in danger?"
Chu Huaiyu interrupted the imperial physician, her voice icy.
"none."
"There is another matter. I have discovered that Your Majesty has traces of bewitching powder in your body."
The imperial physician added, "If a person takes this medicine, they will become listless and have no strength..."
Chu Huaiyu's thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves.
How dare they lay a hand on Lu Zhaoxue right under his nose!
He closed his eyes and said in a deep voice:
"Eunuch Wei, find out who started this fire! I will make him wish he were dead!"
"This old servant obeys the decree."
——
Lu Zhaoxue's wounds have been cleaned and treated, and Chu Huaiyu has been staying by her bedside the whole time.
Lu Zhaoxue, still unconscious, trembled all over in pain, her forehead covered in cold sweat, repeatedly crying out, "It hurts...it hurts so much..."
Chu Huaiyu was frantic and ordered the imperial physician to quickly relieve her pain, but no matter what method he used, Lu Zhaoxue was still crying out in pain.
Seeing her clothes soaked and her lips dry, Chu Huaiyu's heart couldn't help but tremble.
He silently repeated in his heart, "Zhaoxue, you will be alright, I will not let anything happen to you."
Lu Zhaoxing, kneeling on the ground outside the hall, cried her heart out: "God, please bless my sister so she's safe and sound..."
Chu Huaiyu summoned Lu Zhaoxue's personal maid and stared at her with a sinister look, asking, "Did Consort Chen have any unusual behavior during her meal last night?"
"Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual. The Empress only ate some porridge, and I have checked her."
The palace maid, Haitang, answered tremblingly.
"Heh..." Chu Huaiyu sneered.
"Guards, take all the palace servants serving Chengqian Palace to the Department of Punishments and beat them until they tell the truth!"
The palace servants were so frightened that they kowtowed repeatedly, crying, "Your Majesty, we are innocent!"
But they were all dragged away by the guards.
Lu Zhaoxing hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to step forward and ask Chu Huaiyu, "Brother-in-law... how is my sister?"
"She'll be alright." Chu Huaiyu looked at her terrified eyes.
"Is there something you need?"
"I...I want to go in and see my sister," Lu Zhaoxing said softly.
Chu Huaiyu nodded, watching her carefully enter the hall before getting up and sitting down on a chair next to the bed.
On the other side, Empress Dowager Rong was secretly delighted to hear that a fire had broken out in Chengqian Palace.
But after learning that Lu Zhaoxue was out of danger, her face darkened again.
She pretended to bring tonics to visit him, but was stopped outside the palace by the guards on duty.
"I want to see Consort Chen, and you dare to stop me?" Empress Dowager Rong said angrily.
Chu Huaiyu came out after hearing the commotion, looking tired.
"Mother, she is still unconscious and cannot see anyone."
"Huaiyu, are you now even wary of the Empress Dowager?"
Empress Dowager Rong said aggrievedly, "I just wanted to see her."
"Your Majesty, her condition is unstable, and I do not wish for anyone to disturb her again!"
Chu Huaiyu's tone left no room for argument.
Empress Dowager Rong had no choice but to hand over the tonic to Eunuch Wei, who was standing nearby, and then left in a huff.
Halfway there, she suddenly changed her mind and went to the Empress's Palace.
Du Xianyue was praying before the Buddha statue when she heard that Empress Dowager Rong had arrived, so she quickly got up to greet her.
"Mother, why have you come now?"
Empress Dowager Rong dismissed her attendants and asked with a grave expression:
"Your Majesty, is the fire in Lu Zhaoxue's palace related to you?"
Du Xianyue was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved her hand and said:
"Your Majesty, I have never done such a thing! When I first heard about it, I thought she did it on purpose to attract His Majesty's attention."
Empress Dowager Rong breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned again:
"If it's not you, then who could it be?"
In this harem, besides Du Xianyue, there is only Liu Ruohua.
However, Liu Ruohua was once a close friend of Lu Zhaoxue, so she would never do such a thing.
Empress Dowager Yu was preoccupied with Chu Siheng's affairs and would not take such a great risk.
Could it be...?
A thought flashed through Empress Dowager Rong's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
"Mother, who in the entire palace doesn't want Lu Zhaoxue to die? She has made many enemies. Perhaps it was some palace servant who disliked her and committed this heinous act."
Du Xianyue said.
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