Chapter 84 Isn't Jin setting fire to the emperor's heart? ...
Huayan Palace
The New Year's Eve banquet was lively from the very beginning, with pleasant music and everyone raising their glasses in celebration... But who was really there to eat and drink at such a banquet?
Seeing the Crown Prince and all the princes rise and come before the Emperor, everyone at the banquet held their breath and watched the commotion intently. Even the dancers and musicians who were dancing gracefully in the hall lowered their heads and quietly retreated.
Whether or not one has handled that "supreme" power makes a real difference. In addition, the Crown Prince is already the heir apparent, and now he is even more adept at handling it and has a great sense of responsibility.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy, but the Crown Prince spoke first, bowing slightly to Emperor Xuanpei and saying, "Father."
"Today is the New Year's Eve banquet. Your Majesty, I and several of my brothers drank a few too many cups of wine at the banquet. We were so tipsy that we forgot our limits. Please forgive us, Father."
"Father."
Reeking of alcohol, Prince Qi stood beside the Crown Prince, his face flushed, and his eyes seemed to be filled with tears as he looked at Emperor Xuanpei.
"You have been recuperating in the palace for so long, and now I am finally seeing that Your Majesty is in good health. Your son is so happy."
The King of England looked at the Prince Qi beside him, who was speaking and shedding some tears. If it came to putting on an act, it had to be his third brother.
And so, Prince Qi, overjoyed and weeping, uttered more drunken ramblings.
“These days, the Crown Prince has been overseeing the country and the court. His actions are decisive and swift, and all the officials in the court have responded to his orders with their bows and repeated promises.”
"Even Wen Ge Lao, a veteran of two dynasties, was ordered to retire and return to his hometown."
"Your subject... Your subject was ignorant in the past, and I fear that in my anger I may have offended the Crown Prince..."
Prince Qi, wiping away his tears, looked up at Emperor Xuanpei.
"Father, you...you must plead with my elder brother on my behalf, lest things turn out differently in the future..."
"What are you saying, Third Brother?"
The Crown Prince looked at Prince Qi with surprise, then quickly said to Emperor Xuanpei, "Father."
"Your subject was indeed wrong."
"Knowing that my third brother has a quick temper, I still couldn't help arguing with him when I was angry... But in the end, we are brothers, so how could I really take it seriously?"
"Yes, Father."
The King of England and the Prince of Rui followed closely behind, and the group said in succession, "Your subjects were only joking with Third Brother, but he took it seriously when he was drunk."
Prince An is a man of few words; even after following Prince Qi, he hasn't been able to utter a single sentence, and he remains so now.
Emperor Xuanpei glanced at the princes standing below, his face showing no displeasure, only a slight nod.
"Since it's New Year's Eve dinner, we should enjoy ourselves to the fullest."
"I am able to rest and recuperate in peace during this period thanks entirely to the Crown Prince's handling of state affairs. He is diligent and conscientious in his duties, and his efforts in overseeing the country and supervising the affairs of the court and the people are commendable. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon him a cup of imperial wine as a reward."
After Emperor Xuanpei finished speaking and bestowed wine, Eunuch Chen, who was serving him, poured the wine and personally carried it down the imperial steps.
"Thank you, Father Emperor."
The crown prince quickly bowed to express his gratitude and drank the wine in one gulp.
With a smile on her face, Empress Wang raised her head and looked down at Consort Zhang.
Consort Zhang lowered her eyes, not wanting to see Empress Wang's smug look at all.
Unexpectedly, when Emperor Xuanpei waved his hand to dismiss the princes, he summoned Prince Qi to his side.
No one knows what Emperor Xuanpei said, but Prince Qi nodded repeatedly while wiping away his tears.
"Your Highness."
Holding a wine cup, the head of the Wang family, standing beside the Crown Prince, couldn't help but glance at the imperial steps a few more times.
"I vaguely remember that our Prince Qi was a heavy drinker, but I didn't expect him to be so drunk after just a few cups of wine at the beginning of the palace banquet today."
The Crown Prince gave Prince Qi a deep look.
"Uncle, have you not heard the saying—it's not wine that intoxicates, it's people who get drunk?"
"It is said that 'truth comes out after drinking,' and my younger brother must have a lot to say to Father after getting drunk."
But no matter what Prince Qi said in front of the emperor, pretending to be innocent and foolish, the crown prince remained composed.
Having served as the emperor's son for decades, the crown prince had a good understanding of his father—if he was willing to give you a chance, you must seize it and do your best to convince everyone.
If you do not perform well, are mediocre or appear foolish and dull, no matter what the reason, your father, the emperor, would never entrust the country to such a person.
This is a rare opportunity.
Although it is rather stingy to only give one or two opportunities, and it can even be said that this "test" came very suddenly and caught people off guard... But the Crown Prince has been the heir apparent for so many years.
If he doesn't even have this much ability, then he should pack his bags and get out of here as soon as possible, abdicate and give way to a more capable person. He'd rather be deposed by the emperor himself in the future and have a miserable and hasty end.
Therefore, the Crown Prince truly put in a great deal of effort in this regent's duties.
"uncle."
The Crown Prince shifted his gaze from Prince Qi to Wang Rudun.
"Fortunately, Father Emperor has now recovered from all his illnesses and is in good health. He should return to court and rule as regent. I, too, must resign from my position as regent and Grand Secretary..."
Even though he was reluctant to let go of the Crown Prince's time overseeing the country, Wang Rudun knew that this situation was special and there was no reason to be greedy or forceful about the matter of "overseeing the country." He just smiled and nodded.
"Your Highness, rest assured, everyone in the manor knows what to do."
Just as the drums and music resumed and the atmosphere inside the hall was harmonious, a eunuch suddenly came tumbling and crawling in from outside.
He knelt on the ground as soon as he entered, and said in a panic, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Guanju Palace is on fire!"
"Smack—!"
The wine cup in Emperor Xuanpei's hand fell straight to the ground and shattered.
His face suddenly turned deathly pale, and then without saying a word, he abruptly stood up and strode out of Huayan Palace.
"Is this referring to the Guanju Palace?"
"The fire started at this time?"
"Is this Consort Jiang, who gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, in Guanju Palace?"
"Indeed, this palace was specially chosen by His Majesty..."
The hall was just filled with murmurs when Emperor Xuanpei had already vanished like a gust of wind.
A fire in the palace could be a minor or major incident. If the fire was large enough to be started by the wind and spread, it could become a major disaster.
Upon hearing this, Empress Wang quickly stood up.
"It's still early before the time to stay up all night, so please stay in Huayan Palace..." After giving a few hasty instructions, Empress Wang left the palace and headed to Guanju Palace.
Consort Zhang, who remained in the palace, also wore a look of surprise and solemnity.
Consort Zhang knew perfectly well what kind of state the Emperor had been in repeatedly because of this Lady Jiang.
The fire at Guanju Palace was definitely not an accident... More importantly, who did it?
Consort Zhang, filled with unease, wished she could go to Guanju Palace right now to find out what was going on.
However, the Emperor and Empress had already left the palace one after another... At this palace banquet, someone had to temporarily take charge of the overall situation.
Consort Zhang, who was in charge of assisting in the management of the six palaces, naturally had to stay.
At this moment, who cares about New Year's Eve banquet?
The concubines, noblewomen, and even court officials in the hall were all whispering and gossiping among themselves.
"This Consort Jiang is truly unlucky."
"That's right."
"She was clearly carrying the auspicious blessing of twins, but this fall caused the two auspicious creatures to be born prematurely, and now they have to be carefully raised in the palace..."
"Even this Consort Jiang herself is recuperating in the palace and did not even show up at the New Year's Eve banquet."
"You know, with the sudden fire and flames, even if the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess weren't burned or suffocated, being startled like that in the dark of night... I'm afraid they would be in serious trouble."
"Who can argue with that?"
"It's cold outside now, and if we take you out in the freezing cold, you'll get cold... Oh, Amitabha."
"You said this is clearly a great blessing, how did it turn into such a heartbreaking disaster?"
Naturally, another lowered voice emerged: "Isn't it because you have too much good fortune to bear? That's why they say you have little luck and shallow fate."
"......"
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was lively, with everyone enjoying themselves to the point of being quite tipsy.
As soon as I stepped out of the hall, I was hit hard by a cold wind.
The cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, lashed down relentlessly.
Several snowfalls have occurred in the past few days. Even after the palace servants had cleared the area several times, the streets were once again covered in snow.
Apart from a few imperial guards, even Eunuch Chen couldn't keep up with Emperor Xuanpei's pace. When he hurriedly arrived at one side of the long street, he could still see the towering flames.
Because of the haste and the slippery roads due to the accumulated snow, Emperor Xuanpei had already fallen several times and was covered in snow.
But he felt no pain at all; his whole body was frozen into an empty lump of ice and snow.
Reason and the composure I was so proud of were instantly burned to ashes by the fire before me.
Trembling all over, with each breath feeling like needles were pricking his bones, Emperor Xuanpei could neither see nor hear anything else, and didn't even have time to think. Without stopping, he rushed straight into the Guanju Palace through the flames.
The other palace servants and guards who rushed to put out the fire were so shocked that they jumped up and stopped Emperor Xuanpei in a panic.
However, Emperor Xuanpei knocked down the person who was blocking his way.
"Clang—"
He reached directly and drew the sword from the guard's waist.
The firelight reflected in his eyes as if they were blood red, and his whole body exuded a ferocious aura that seemed to want to devour anyone.
"Get out of the way!"
"Your Majesty!"
Hearing that San Cai's face was pale and he was so anxious that he scrambled to deliver the message, A Zhu, wrapped in a brocade quilt and with disheveled hair, rushed out of the Changli Palace on the side.
"Your Majesty..."
"Clang!"
The knife in Emperor Xuanpei's hand fell to the ground.
He stared blankly at A-Zhu, and almost tremblingly called out, "A-Zhu...?"
"Your Majesty, it is your concubine. Your concubine just came from..."
Before she could finish speaking, A-Zhu was grabbed and held tightly by Emperor Xuanpei who rushed over.
The hug was so tight that Ah Zhu let out a muffled groan and couldn't say another word.
How can a person suffer the pain of having their heart tightly squeezed and their internal organs being violently torn and rubbed several times in a short period of time?
Nobody can.
Emperor Xuanpei, feeling as if he had survived a calamity, held the person in his arms, unable to speak.
His hands were trembling as he held Azhu, and after a long while, he could only squeeze out a low sob from his chest.
The snow that had clung to Emperor Xuanpei's face seemed to melt, leaving a few wet streaks on his face before settling on Azhu's collar and neck.
A-Zhu released her grip on the brocade quilt.
She gently touched Emperor Xuanpei's taut back.
One after another.
"Your Majesty, I am perfectly fine."
If you say something softly, Ah Zhu will gently stroke your fur.
"I was neither burned nor bothered by the smoke."
“When the fire first started, I didn’t care about anything else, I just wrapped my two children and the palace servants and ran out.”
rambling, seemingly pointless chatter is the best way to gradually calm a tense mind and prevent sudden emotional outbursts during extreme joy or sorrow.
Ah Zhu's mouth hasn't stopped talking since then.
"It suddenly started snowing in the dark, and it was freezing cold. I was in a hurry and had two children with me... I had no choice but to rush to Changli Palace."
"Just now, I went to the side hall of Changli Palace. Fearing I would catch a cold, I secretly touched the charcoal stove and brocade quilt in Consort Jieyu's palace... I was rude and will apologize to Consort Jieyu another day."
Noticing that her hand was so tight she could hardly breathe, Ah Zhu slowly loosened its grip and pressed on.
"Your Majesty."
"Our two children are all bundled up like 'lucky bags' tonight, and the wet nurse is holding them tightly, so they shouldn't be cold."
"They were just a little frightened; Jiahe even cried for a while."
"......"
Empress Wang, who was following behind, hurried over and saw Emperor Xuanpei and Azhu embracing each other in a very improper manner on the long street.
Upon seeing who it was, A-Zhu gently patted Emperor Xuanpei, whose emotions were no longer as explosive as they had been just moments before.
"Your Majesty."
"Her Majesty the Empress has also arrived."
Emperor Xuanpei slowly straightened up, but he held tightly to Azhu's hand.
"Your Majesty."
Empress Wang, who had called out to Emperor Xuanpei, would naturally not go crazy and dwell on this matter at this juncture.
She pretended not to see it, and looked at Ah Zhu with a worried expression, saying repeatedly, "How could the fire suddenly start out of nowhere?"
"Consort Jiang, have you been burned anywhere by the fire?"
"Where are the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess?"
"Is the child injured?"
"It's freezing cold outside, we can't wait here."
Azhu was extremely grateful to Empress Wang for her meticulous care.
Upon hearing that A-Zhu had apologized for trespassing into Changli Palace, Empress Wang waved her hand and said with certainty, "In urgent situations, expediency is necessary."
"You did a great job."
"Nothing is more important than your safety and the safety of the two children. Even if Consort Zhao knew about this, she would only be grateful that Consort Jiang is quick-witted and handled the matter properly."
After saying this, Empress Wang turned and looked back at Guanju Palace.
The flames had diminished considerably, but the billowing smoke was still somewhat alarming.
"Your Majesty, the fire has not yet been extinguished..."
When she turned to look at Emperor Xuanpei, Empress Wang was speechless for a moment.
Perhaps it was the crisp, cold snow that caught Emperor Xuanpei's eye, a vast expanse of white.
The look that Emperor Xuanpei gave was truly chilling.
A-Zhu coughed twice. Emperor Xuanpei looked down at her. While Empress Wang was still in a daze, she heard Emperor Xuanpei order her to take the two children and return to Hanyuan Palace.
"Summon the imperial physician to Hanyuan Hall."
After saying this, Emperor Xuanpei looked at Empress Wang.
"I will take care of Lady Jiang and the prince. The empress should return to Huayan Palace. The Crown Prince will temporarily preside over the New Year's Eve banquet tonight."
Just as she came to her senses, Empress Wang watched as Emperor Xuanpei, Jiang Zhu, and their two children boarded the imperial sedan chair. She slowly lowered her eyes.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
*
When the imperial sedan chair arrived at Hanyuan Hall, the imperial physician was already waiting there.
Apart from being a little startled and exposed to the cold wind, Ah Zhu was otherwise unharmed.
However, the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess are only two months old and cannot withstand the stress of adults. If they are frightened in the middle of the night by the fire in the palace tonight, with flames raging and people making a lot of noise, they will convulse and wake up crying.
The two children started crying again.
Ah Zhu, who had seemed quite calm just moments before, couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears while holding both children.
Emperor Xuanpei pursed his lips, a few glistening tears welling up in his eyes. He stroked Azhu's head and gently patted the two children.
A-Zhu's eyes were red and swollen until the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess cried themselves to sleep.
The emotions I had been suppressing all night could no longer be contained.
At first, A-Zhu was sobbing softly, but then she burst into loud wails.
When Emperor Xuanpei held her in his arms, Azhu cried, gritted her teeth, and punched him with her fists.
"When the fire broke out in Guanju Palace... do you know how scared I was? Waaah!"
"His Majesty is not here either. I fled in a panic with my two children all by myself."
"It's snowing outside the palace, and it's so cold outside... In the firelight, everyone is shouting anxiously, and there are people running around everywhere. The two children keep crying..."
"But His Majesty has yet to appear!"
"......"
"Time and time again."
"Two months ago, I fell off the sedan chair, which caused my two children to be born prematurely."
"Now I almost perished in the fire along with them... Waaah."
"You've escaped this time, but what about next time, and the time after that? What are you going to do, concubine?"
"Your Majesty, what are you expecting me to do?!"
"......"
All the grievances, resentment, and anger that she had been suppressing seemed to have found an outlet, and A-Zhu sobbed as she hit and cursed Emperor Xuanpei.
Emperor Xuanpei held Azhu in his arms, and tears still fell as he tilted his head slightly upward.
No matter how much A-Zhu cursed or hit him, he held her tightly, letting the emotionally out-of-control A-Zhu bite his shoulder.
After Ah Zhu vented her frustrations and collapsed into his arms, nearly exhausted, Emperor Xuanpei closed his eyes and gently kissed her temples.
There will be no next time.
There will be no next time.
Having been terrified and losing control of her emotions, Ah Zhu cried uncontrollably until she was nearly exhausted and fainted. She was given some calming soup and fell asleep.
Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei was only accompanying Consort Jiang in the rear hall, Eunuch Chen, who had returned to report the news, had no choice but to hurriedly enter the rear hall as well.
"Your Majesty."
"The fire at Guanju Palace was caused by sparks from fireworks and firecrackers set off in the palace, which ignited the debris outside the rear storage area."
"In preparation for winter and the upcoming New Year, the Imperial Household Department, as usual, sent candles, charcoal, cotton clothes and other items to various parts of the palace a while ago."
"Because the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess are still in Guanju Palace, these items have been sent at nearly three times the amount and are stored in the back warehouse."
"The fire started in the back warehouse with the help of the wind... and the fire got out of control. Fortunately, the Empress and her people left quickly, and there were no casualties."
It was another small "accident" that led to an unstoppable catastrophe.
"What a coincidence!"
As Emperor Xuanpei pondered these words, a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.
Emperor Xuanpei asked himself if he was a kind, compassionate, and good-natured person.
How could anyone dare to provoke him so brazenly, time and time again, right under his nose?
"Since they are so self-confident, full of tricks and ruthless, and have such malicious intentions, they now regard the palace as a den of dragons and tigers."
Emperor Xuanpei nodded and muttered to himself.
"This time it was the Jiang family, the Guanju Palace, next time shouldn't it be me, this Hanyuan Hall?"
"Fire soared into the sky, and the entire palace was filled with panic as people rushed around announcing my untimely death?"
It was clearly just a matter concerning the Guanju Palace, but Emperor Xuanpei dragged it into his own affairs and even made it sound so serious.
Emperor Xuanpei dared to speak, but Eunuch Chen dared not listen.
Startled, Eunuch Chen's face changed drastically, and he knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Your Majesty!"
Emperor Xuanpei glanced at Eunuch Chen indifferently.
"If they dare to set fire to the palace like this, are they afraid of assassinating the emperor?"
The plot to harm Consort Jiang was most likely due to palace intrigue.
But assassinating the emperor is a heinous crime punishable by treason, which would lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family and is unforgivable. How can these be the same?
When Emperor Xuanpei said this, Eunuch Chen dared not refute it and could only kowtow repeatedly.
The question of how to govern the world has always been a required course for an emperor, and an unspoken principle among the ministers in the court. But how can Emperor Xuanpei possibly tolerate this now, and how can he maintain stability?
It would be more peaceful to let Emperor Xuanpei be blind, a cowardly and cowardly fool, and watch Ah Zhu and his two children die with their eyes closed.
They wanted to turn a blind eye and smooth things over, saying that scandals in the palace should not be made public.
Don't even think about it!
"Go and summon Wei Yong and Xing Chang."
"Seal the palace for me now!"
Emperor Xuanpei said menacingly, "If ten people aren't enough, then a hundred; if a hundred aren't enough, then a thousand; if a thousand aren't enough, then ten thousand!"
"Turn this palace upside down and find these treacherous and wicked people!"
"yes."
Eunuch Chen quickly accepted the order and hurriedly went to deliver it.
*
Huayan Palace
Seeing that Empress Wang had returned, but Emperor Xuanpei had temporarily disappeared, and upon hearing that the emperor had accompanied Consort Jiang back to Hanyuan Palace, a murmur of discussion arose.
Yes, there was a fire at Guanju Palace, and Consort Jiang must have been quite frightened.
But no matter how startled or unexpected... there has never been a case of an emperor abandoning all his concubines and officials at the New Year's Eve banquet, the most solemn and important occasion, and not even showing his face, just to accompany a single concubine.
The hall was filled with commotion and discussion. Several ministers, having drunk a few cups of wine, were quite emboldened and suggested going to Hanyuan Hall... But before long, the sound of footsteps and the clanging of armor and weapons could be heard outside the hall.
The Grand Commander of the Guards, clad in armor, entered the palace holding a golden token.
"By order of His Majesty, we are to immediately investigate the treacherous officials who set fire to the palace with the intent to assassinate the Emperor. We ask that you gentlemen wait quietly in the hall for the time being."
? ? ?
!!
It's that same near-treasonous rhetoric again, that same willingness to implicate others, and even, all for the sake of a favored concubine... Doesn't this process seem familiar?
The entire Huayan Palace fell into a deathly silence.
......
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Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, the manuscript has been sleeping soundly in the draft box for ages. *pat pat pat*
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