The day after the ceremony.
Ning Wanyin asked someone to keep an eye on the time when Concubine Zhu went out in advance, and intercept her in a small garden on the way to the Xianling Palace.
“Bang—”
As Concubine Zhu just walked out from the corner of the street, she bumped into Ning Wanyin's colorful streamers who were coming out of the small garden.
"Who is so blind that he almost knocked me down?" Ning Wanyin held the sedan chair and looked down coldly at the person who was knocked to the ground.
Concubine Zhu fell to the ground. She was so angry that she wanted to curse, but when she saw that the person coming was Ning Wanyin, she could only swallow her anger and hold back her words.
Like yesterday's Noble Lady Feng, she was a noble lady from a relatively prominent baronial family.
He never took the Ning family, a declining baronial family, seriously.
If Ning Wanyin had not been favored in the palace and had a higher status than her, wouldn't she be able to bully Ning Wanyin at will if she were outside, given her family background?
She looked at Ning Wanyin with resentment and indignation.
Lian Rui raised her voice and said, "Master, this is Concubine Zhu who almost knocked my cousin into the pool yesterday..."
"It seems that she has always been good at bumping into people." Ning Wanyin raised her eyebrows slightly:
"Lianrui, give her two slaps in the face. Let her learn a lesson and be more careful when walking next time."
Lian Rui immediately rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward, slapping Concubine Zhu twice with both hands, making crisp sounds.
Concubine Zhu was stunned, "You you you..."
"How did Concubine Zhu learn etiquette? This is a reward from this Concubine. Don't you know how to thank me?" Ning Wanyin said slowly.
Concubine Zhu was furious, but suddenly remembered that Ning Wanyin had slapped Xue Jinyan in the same way...
She even dared to hit Master Xue.
Concubine Zhu felt timid and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Concubine Ning, for your guidance."
Ning Wanyin stroked her earlobe with her fingers and said deliberately, "How did my earring fall? I guess you bumped into me and knocked it off. Lady Zhu, since you lost it, please help me find it!"
Concubine Zhu knew in her heart that she was deliberately torturing her.
But Ning Wanyin has a high status...
She cursed in her heart, but could only swallow her anger on the surface, "I will help Concubine Jieyu find it--"
Concubine Zhu looked around Ning Wanyin's sedan chair but couldn't find it. She said, "Forgive me for my poor eyesight. I couldn't find it..."
"That's because you didn't look carefully. You missed the flower bed in front." Ning Wanyin pointed to the garden she had just passed by.
"It's impossible for your earring to fall so far away?" Concubine Zhu retorted.
Lian Rui sneered, "The earrings were given to my master by His Majesty. You lost the gift from the emperor, and our master gave you a chance to make amends, but you still don't know what's good for you. Then we can only report it to the Criminal Court and let them deal with you..."
Concubine Zhu's expression changed slightly, "I will look carefully, I will definitely find it!"
She plunged into the little garden.
The palace maid who accompanied her was left holding a prayer lamp, at a loss as to what to do.
Lian Rui glanced at her and said, "What are you still doing here? Why don't you go look for it with your master?"
The palace maid hurriedly placed the blessing lamp on the stone table at the side and went to look for the earrings.
…
Concubine Zhu and her servants searched the flower garden.
Still couldn't find the earrings.
"Master, it's getting late. If we don't go now, we will be late!" Lian Rui reminded.
Ning Wanyin then slowly took out an earring from her sleeve and said perfunctorily:
"Ah... So it fell on me. It's hard for Concubine Zhu to look for it for so long. Xiao Xiazi, tell Concubine Zhu that the earring has been found. Tell her to be more careful when she walks next time."
Xiaoxiazi took the order.
Ning Wanyin left in a sedan chair.
Concubine Zhu then emerged from the flower garden. A thin layer of frost covered the soil and winter flowers, staining her dress, shoes and socks, making them wet and dirty.
But it’s not early.
If she doesn't hurry to the Fairy Palace, she will be late!
"Hurry to the Xianling Palace! Ning Wanyin, that damn bitch, is so arrogant relying on a little favor." Concubine Zhu's eyes were full of resentment, and she decided to go to Xue Jinyan to complain.
Obviously.
Ning Wanyin came to her today to vent her anger for Tang Miaoling.
And this task was assigned to her by Xue Jinyan.
She wants to find Xue Jinyan to help her!
Ning Wanyin and Concubine Zhu arrived at the Xianling Palace one after the other.
The ceremony began.
The mages sang and danced an ancient and complicated sacrificial dance...
The concubines held blessing lamps and worshiped and saluted with solemn expressions.
After the dance ended...
The concubines lit the lamps one by one according to their rank and placed them on the table in front of the spirit tablet.
At this time, the concubines whose turn it was not yet their turn went to the side hall to rest and wait.
Concubine Zhu finally got the chance to go to Xue Jinyan to complain.
"My concubine greets Lady Xue..." Concubine Zhu said aggrievedly.
Xue Jinyan noticed the redness and swelling on her face and asked, "Were you beaten?"
"It was Ning Wanyin who hit me..." Concubine Zhu just started talking.
Someone bumped into her from behind.
Concubine Zhu staggered.
The prayer lamp in his hand fell with a clang into the charcoal brazier in front of him.
The weather is very cold now, and there are several charcoal braziers on both sides of the Xianling Palace.
Except for Ning Wanyin, who occupied one seat, the rest were occupied by Xue Cen and his party.
In this harem, without favor or support, one cannot even get a brazier for warmth.
The blessing lamp fell into the brazier...
The next moment.
"Bang--"
There was a loud explosion.
The three or four concubines who were surrounding the charcoal brazier were blown to the ground on the spot.
Everyone was stunned.
As the blessing lamp exploded...
The lamp oil spilled on the ground, and a huge fire started...
The concubines fled in panic.
…
A moment.
Wei Linsi arrived in time and put out the fire as soon as it started.
Shufei was lighting lamps in the main hall. When she heard that the brazier in the side hall had exploded, she ordered someone to report to the emperor and sent someone to call for the imperial physician.
Soon, Helian Qi arrived.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Lü and Concubine Xue both had their arms burned by the fire, Concubine Shi suffered injuries to her face, and Concubine Zhu was the most seriously injured, with most of her body burned..." Court Judge Zhao reported.
Concubine Zhu was closest to the blessing lamp.
Concubine Lu and Concubine Xue were lucky; the flying kerosene only splashed on their arms.
Lady Shi was a little unlucky. A few drops of kerosene splashed onto her face, leaving several bloody holes on her cheeks.
Helian Qi's face showed no emotion, he looked at the eunuch Wu Mi who was in charge of the punishment:
"What's going on?"
"Your Majesty, after my inspection, the source of the fire was the oil in Concubine Zhu's blessing lamp, which is a rare secret kerosene from overseas. This oil is colorless and odorless, and looks exactly the same as ordinary lamp oil. But once it encounters an open flame, it will explode." Wu Mi presented the blackened blessing lamp and reported:
"This prayer lamp fell into the charcoal brazier, causing it to explode and catch fire..."
Everyone looked at each other.
Concubine Zhu and Concubine Shi were carried to a palace nearby to be bandaged.
Xue Jinyan hadn't left yet. She was sitting behind a screen on the side, being bandaged by a female doctor. Her face changed slightly when she heard this.
This kerosene...
Shouldn’t it be in Ning Wanyin’s lamp?
How could it appear in Concubine Zhu’s lamp!
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