The Fourth Prince originally planned to return to the palace after choosing a consort in Biechuk, but he was reluctant to leave Lanqin. He wondered when he would be able to bring Lanqin back to the palace, so he hesitated and decided to stay at Yuanmingyuan for one night, planning to rush back the next morning, which should be enough time.
That very night, someone in the laundry room threw a candlestick under a wooden table in the corner. A flame shot up instantly, and coincidentally, the window was open, letting in a blast of cold wind. The stronger the wind, the bigger the fire. Within minutes, the curtains and wooden furniture inside were all ablaze…
"Oh no, there's a fire! Help!" Cries for help came from the direction of Xin Zhe Ku, along with pitiful screams and figures rushing out with flames, creating a very dangerous situation.
Upon hearing the news, the eunuchs and palace maids from the Imperial Household Department and various palaces joined the firefighting efforts. However, the fire grew larger and larger, and the flames illuminated the entire palace. Human firefighting was simply insignificant, and they could only watch helplessly as the raging fire in the Imperial Laundry Ward burned it to pieces.
Consort Nian was fast asleep when a series of urgent knocks on the door startled her. Before she could even react, a eunuch outside cried out, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! You must go quickly... the Imperial Laundry Department is on fire..."
Consort Nian sat up abruptly, lifted the bed curtains, and the palace maid on night duty quickly prepared shoes for her.
Consort Nian, still shaken, ordered the door opened. A eunuch rushed in, knelt on the ground, and reported in a terrified voice, "Your Highness, the Imperial Laundry has caught fire, and the fire is still burning..."
"How could a fire suddenly occur?" After Lanqin left, the Fourth Prince handed over the power of the harem to Consort Nian. He was happy for only a few days before such a big thing happened. Consort Nian was very anxious. She hurriedly put on a few clothes and led people to the Laundry Department.
Upon leaving Yikun Palace, Consort Nian immediately smelled a burnt odor and a nauseating, strange smell in the air.
Consort Nian had a bad feeling and, without thinking it over, went straight to the Laundry Department.
Thick smoke drifted from the direction of the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for mourning), and cries of agony carried far and wide through the dark night.
Nian Shi shivered involuntarily, perhaps because the shrill scream was too eerie.
It took the Xin Zhe Ku most of the night to barely put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other palaces, but almost the entire palace was burned down. Everywhere there was the pungent smell of burning, blackened beams and roofs, and water stains, leaving the place in a sorry state.
When Consort Nian arrived, the Imperial Household Department had already begun organizing rescue personnel to carry out the bodies of those who had perished in the Sinzheku (a place for mourners). The nauseating, burnt smell was coming from there, and Consort Nian was so horrified by the sight before her that she couldn't speak.
Two eunuchs carrying a stretcher passed by Consort Nian, but they tripped over something and lost their balance, causing the arm of the corpse, covered by a white sheet, to fall out. A hand, burned beyond recognition, suddenly swept across Consort Nian's skirt, startling her into a scream.
"What is that? Get away..." Consort Nian clutched her wildly beating heart, her eyes closed as she pointed at the corpse, shouting incoherently.
The head eunuch, Eunuch Duo, quickly came over, dismissed the group, and apologized to Consort Nian: "We have disturbed Your Highness, please forgive us..."
Consort Nian finally regained her composure, panting, and asked fearfully, "Is the fire under control? What caused it?"
The eunuch replied with difficulty, "The fire is under control, but some areas are still being rescued. The exact cause is still unknown. Your Majesty, as the head of the inner palace, we urge you to take charge of the overall situation..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
