The entire city of Kyoto was as bright as day at night.
The city was noisy at this time, and the people were fleeing to avoid the chaos.
The civil and military officials who insisted on attending court yesterday also had their own ways.
Some committed suicide for their country, while others fled with their families overnight. However, most officials remained in their own residences.
They were waiting for the new emperor to ascend the throne and serve a different master, but they all had the surname Xia.
Being an official in the court is just a way to make a living.
The majestic Fengtian Hall was now dead silent.
Xia Chongwen felt inexplicably sad when he saw Fang Ziru, who looked a little tired after his impassioned speech.
He walked forward, helped Fang Ziru up, and said in a gentle and low voice, "Master, that's all!"
Fang Ziru, with the help of Xia Chongwen, stood up shakily, remaining silent.
"The camp is permanent, but the soldiers are transient! This chaos is the master, and you and I are just guests!" Xia Chongwen's voice became softer and softer.
"I am ready to give up my throne. Please lead the others to find their own way out."
"His Majesty....."
Upon hearing this, several ministers in the hall knelt on the ground, and from time to time someone could be heard sobbing.
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
Fang Ziru was silent for a while, and finally spoke.
But he himself felt that the words "think twice" were so pale and powerless.
Xia Chongwen walked down the steps and helped the adults who were still kneeling on the ground in the hall up one by one.
After he finally helped Qi Tai up, several officials began to slowly leave Fengxian Hall.
"Your Majesty." After seeing that everyone had left Fengxian Hall, the eunuch Wang beside Xia Chongwen knelt down in front of Xia Chongwen.
"Eunuch Wang, get up." Xia Chongwen smiled bitterly and said, "You can go too. The silver I give you is enough for you to enjoy your old age."
"Your Majesty, before the late emperor passed away, he left you a relic." Eunuch Wang did not stand up, but just raised his head and said.
"Legacy? Grandpa Emperor has some relics for me? Eunuch Wang, why didn't you tell me earlier?" A little starlight finally appeared in Xia Chongwen's distraught eyes.
"The late emperor specifically instructed me to give it to Your Majesty only after the fall of Kyoto." Eunuch Wang said calmly, "I have kept this item in mind and will not take it out until the fall of the city."
"Hurry, Eunuch Wang, bring it to me quickly." Xia Chongwen was like a drowning man who finally grabbed a life-saving straw.
"Yes! I'll get it right away." Eunuch Wang then stood up and took out a small carved wooden box from the screen behind the dragon throne in Fengxian Hall.
"Your Majesty, this is the key to the wooden box. The late emperor left a will that requires Your Majesty to open it alone, and no one, not even this old servant, is allowed to see it."
After saying this, Eunuch Wang handed a key to Xia Chongwen, bowed deeply to him again, and then slowly walked out of Fengxian Hall.
When leaving Fengxian Hall, Eunuch Wang deliberately closed the hall door.
In the huge Fengxian Hall, the candlelight flickered.
Xia Chongwen's figure appeared at the palace gate several times.
The ministers who left Fengxian Hall did not go too far. They looked at Fengxian Hall from afar.
They saw Eunuch Wang staggering out of Fengxian Hall and heading straight for Jinchuan Gate.
They saw the thick smoke rising from the palace and the noise of palace maids and eunuchs running away.
They also saw Xia Chongwen's figure reflected in the gate of Fengxian Hall. He gently tied up his hair and meticulously adjusted his dragon robe and headdress.
They also saw Xia Chongwen suddenly open the door of Fengxian Hall, walk outside the door, pick up a scattered torch, and then return to Fengxian Hall.
The door of Fengxian Hall was once again tightly closed by Xia Chongwen from the inside.
The Fengxian Hall in Kyoto City was built in an extremely solemn and magnificent manner. It was supported by a double-eaved hipped roof and three layers of white marble steps. It was nine rooms wide and five rooms deep. To the east was the Wen Tower and to the west was the Wu Tower. It was tall, spacious and magnificent with a dragon-like structure, and it had the aura of an emperor.
At this time, the night was getting late.
But the city of Kyoto was still as bright as day, and the Fengxian Hall was now shrouded in silence and darkness.
Fang Ziru, who was reluctant to leave, stood outside the hall and kept looking inside.
Suddenly a heat wave hit, and the entire Fengxian Hall suddenly emitted a dazzling light, almost making it impossible for him to open his eyes.
Xia Chongwen actually set fire to Fengxian Hall!
Fang Ziru was horrified. He stared at the scene with wide eyes, then announced to the ministers around him like a madman: "The palace is on fire, and the emperor is nowhere to be found!"
......
The blood-red color in the sky of Kyoto City slowly faded.
The sky brightened again.
Xia Yu rode on a warhorse and entered the Jinchuan Gate.
He stood in front of the Jinchuan Gate, looking at the city gate built by the previous emperor, and muttered to himself: "Father, the fourth one is back!"
"Your Highness, early this morning, the new emperor burned down the Fengxian Hall." A guard came running from the direction of the imperial palace, dismounted and reported the situation in the palace.
"Where is the new emperor?" Xia Yu frowned. He never expected that Xia Chongwen would dare to set fire to Fengxian Hall.
"Some eunuchs said that the new emperor set fire to Fengxian Palace and then burned himself to death."
"What?"
"Some also say that the new emperor is missing."
"Looking for him! If he's alive, I want to see him. If he's dead, I want to see his body!"
"yes!"
After giving his orders to the guards, Xia Yu turned to Prince Gu beside him and said, "I would also like to ask my nineteenth brother to inform all civil and military officials that all memorials from the past few days should be sent to Prince Ning's Mansion in Kyoto."
"I will follow Fourth Brother's orders!" Prince Gu replied.
"Ma Sanbao!"
"exist!"
"Follow me into the palace and find the new emperor."
"yes!"
Xia Yu, accompanied by Ma Sanbao and a small team of guards, rode into the palace at full speed.
As soon as he entered the palace, Zhu Di looked at the Fengxian Hall, which had become a ruin, from afar, with a solemn expression on his face.
"Your Highness."
Zhu Aneng, the first general responsible for entering the palace, reported to Xia Yu as soon as he saw him.
"Your Highness, we've searched the entire palace, but haven't found any trace of the new emperor. All we find in the Fengxian Hall are a few charred corpses."
Upon hearing this, Xia Yu walked straight towards Fengxian Hall.
Sure enough, at the bottom of the steps outside Fengxian Hall, several corpses, whose genders could not be distinguished, were covered with white cloths and placed in front of the hall.
When Xia Yu saw this, he quickly walked towards the corpses.
As soon as he lifted the white cloth from one of the bodies, he began to cry loudly.
"Chong Wen, Fourth Uncle, I'm here to help you!"
Seeing this, Ma Sanbao, who was standing beside him, knew that no matter whether the person lying on the ground was Xia Chongwen or not, he would have to be dealt with according to Xia Chongwen's rules.
"Your Highness, I mourn for you!"
The soldiers around him also knelt on one knee and shouted in unison: "The new emperor has passed away! Your Highness, please accept my condolences!"
"The new emperor has passed away! Your Highness, please accept my condolences!"
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