Chapter 93: Domineering White Moonlight 12 Someone deliberately set the fire, wanting to...
The main hall of Qingluan Palace was engulfed in flames, with raging flames licking the carved beams and painted rafters. The loud cracks of broken wooden beams mixed with the heart-wrenching cries of the palace servants tore a scarlet rift in the night.
The moment Xie Jingchuan rushed in, the thick smoke immediately choked his lungs.
The heat wave burned his skin painfully. He raised his hand and used his sleeve to wave away the thick fog in front of him. The black brocade robe was burned by the sparks, leaving fine scorch marks.
"Ali!"
Xie Jingchuan quickly arrived at the door of the inner room. The vermilion lacquer door was scorched by the raging fire and had been twisted and deformed. No matter what he did, he couldn't open it.
He kicked the door open without hesitation, his voice hoarse and broken in the sea of fire: "Ali! Are you in there?"
Suddenly, a white figure staggered towards the side hall.
"Xie Jingchuan! Don't go in!"
Ah Li was barefoot and had long hair lying on the side of her sweaty neck. Her thin, snow-white undershirt was stained with soot and could not withstand the invasion of the heat wave at all.
She hugged his waist tightly with amazing strength: "Don't go in!"
"You..." Xie Jingchuan's pupils suddenly shrank, and his voice trembled, "Why are you here?"
The flickering firelight reflected in his eyes, and he immediately noticed the winding bloodstains on her feet.
With a ripping sound, Xie Jingchuan tore off the hem of his inner court robe and bandaged the wound on her foot. He then wrapped her tightly in his cloak and held her firmly in his arms. "I'll take you out."
Before he could finish his words, the beams of the main hall collapsed under the heavy weight. Xie Jingchuan grabbed the back of Ali's head tightly with his hands and quickly protected her under his body.
The burning giant beam fell down, hitting his back with a tremendous force, and rolled over, blocking him a few steps away from the temple gate.
A muffled groan escaped from his clenched teeth, his back suddenly arched, but he still used his arms to create a space for her.
Heat waves were rolling around, and the air was so thin that it was suffocating. Veins bulged on Xie Jingchuan's forehead, and the hot wood chips brushed against the side of his neck, instantly leaving several bloody marks.
"Xie Jingchuan!" Ali struggled in his arms, his fingertips touched the damp heat on his back, and he trembled constantly.
Xie Jingchuan stroked her hair, his hot breath sprayed on her ear, his voice terribly hoarse: "It's okay, don't be afraid."
He carefully got up from her and carried her horizontally again, but the injury on his back was too severe, and it was extremely difficult for him to walk just a few steps.
Xie Jingchuan swallowed the fishy sweetness in his throat, tensed his arm muscles, struggled to steady his body, and strode out of the hall with her in his arms.
The guards immediately rushed over to rescue the two men.
When Ali was put down, the wound on Xie Jingchuan's back was already hideous. The imperial physician had been waiting outside and immediately stepped forward to examine the injuries of the two.
Xie Jingchuan's gaze remained fixed on A-li. He instructed Lan Xin and Ming Shuang, who were crying beside him, "The princess will stay in the main hall of the East Palace tonight. Go and prepare first."
Everyone was stunned when these words came out. After all, the princess was still an unmarried woman. How could she stay in the East Palace for no apparent reason, sharing a room with the Crown Prince? If this got out, it would definitely be inappropriate!
But Xie Jingchuan just glanced at them quietly, with a dangerous dark light in his eyes. The oppressive feeling of being a superior surged like a tide, suffocating them.
Lan Xin and Ming Shuang quickly left with a few palace maids. The imperial physician treating A Li knelt down and replied, "Your Highness, the princess is fine. She was just frightened and her foot was scratched by a splinter. I have applied medicine and bandaged her. She will be fine after a few days of rest."
Xie Jingchuan nodded: "Thank you, Imperial Physician."
He stood up, but caught a glimpse of the imperial physician who was about to speak, and immediately waved his hand to stop him.
Xie Jingchuan half-knelt in front of Ah Li, who was hesitant to speak. He held her ankle with one hand, letting her step her bare feet on his legs. He persuaded her gently, "Qingluan Palace has been burned like this, and we can't go to Shou'an Palace. How about staying in the East Palace for one night?"
Ali couldn't help but curl up her blood-stained toes. She was standing on the four-clawed python pattern of the sea water and river cliff that could be used by the Crown Prince of Jin. The pattern was fine and the touch was very strange.
She raised her eyes and met Xie Jingchuan's.
He was in a more miserable state than ever before. His hair was scattered, and a strand of hair from his forehead hung in front of his eyes. There were beads of blood hanging from the ends of his hair, and as he moved, a glaring red light flashed.
Ali wiped the blood from his lips and nodded slowly.
The Eastern Palace was not far from the Qingluan Palace. Xie Jingchuan did not ride in a sedan chair. He carried Ali back to the Eastern Palace.
Along the way, the palace servants who came to put out the fire all bowed their heads and knelt, not daring to look directly at him.
Ali leaned on his shoulder with a look of self-abandonment. After all, he was the prince, and no matter what rumors came in the future, he could suppress them.
She lowered her eyes and told Xie Jingchuan what happened tonight.
I don't know how many days ago, but there has been a rustling sound of leaves rubbing against each other in Ali's bedroom, as if it was made by the wind.
But there were not many trees in Qingluan Palace, and they were all far away from her bedroom. Ali led Lan Xin and the others to look for them several times, but they returned empty-handed every time.
Ali's sleep has been light recently, and the noise tonight was louder than in the past few days. She couldn't stand it anymore, so she ran to the side hall to sleep without waking up Lan Xin who was guarding outside the hall.
Unexpectedly, not long after he fell asleep, thick black smoke came out from the direction of the main hall, waking Ali up from his dream.
At that time, there was already a huge fire all around, and the door leading to the outside of the side hall could not be opened. With her vision unclear, she walked to the main hall with the door open, and happened to see Xie Jingchuan who was about to rush into the inner room.
As they were talking, Ali fell asleep in Xie Jingchuan's arms. In a daze, Lan Xin and Ming Shuang helped her wash and change her clothes, and then carried her back to bed.
Ali slept uneasily. When he woke up suddenly, he saw that it was quiet outside and there was no sign of Xie Jingchuan.
She moved her stiff hands and feet and found herself sleeping on Xie Jingchuan's bed. She seemed to be surrounded by his cold and self-respecting aura.
Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he couldn't grasp any of them. Sleepiness came over him again, and Ali slowly closed his eyes. This time he didn't wake up again.
At dawn, the fire in Qingluan Palace was finally put out.
Xie Jingchuan stood in front of the ruins, watching the palace servants clean up the charred wood with an expressionless face.
The wounds on his body had only been treated hastily, and now there was a piercing pain all over his body.
"check."
With just one word, the imperial guards behind him were already kneeling all over the courtyard.
"Yes, I obey your orders!"
*
Sleep till dawn.
Ah Li sat up from the bed. Ming Shuang, who was outside the door, heard the noise and pushed the door open. "My princess, are you awake? I'll fetch some water right away."
After a while, Ali was dressed neatly and sat at the table, listening to Mingshuang talk.
It turned out that Xie Jingchuan did not return to the East Palace the whole night yesterday. He had been arranging people in Qingluan Palace to investigate the cause of the fire.
Ali frowned when he thought of the injuries on his body.
She also felt strange that Qingluan Palace suddenly caught fire this time.
The fire started and spread from her bedroom, but when she left the bedroom, she extinguished all the palace lanterns, so it was impossible for the things in the bedroom to burn for no reason.
Was the fire deliberately set to kill her, or was it something else?
Ali couldn't figure it out for a moment, but when she thought that Xie Jingchuan had already sent people to track him down, she stopped thinking about it.
After all, it would be more useful for him to investigate than for her.
Today, she has another important thing to think about.
When Lan Xin brought breakfast, A-Li was the only one in the hall. She looked around and said, "Princess, wasn't Ming Shuang serving you just now?"
Ah Li lowered his eyes while eating and said, "Oh, I'll order Ming Shuang to go to Shou'an Palace and check on the Empress Dowager's condition on my behalf."
As she spoke, she moved her feet, and this time she injured the soles of her feet, making it difficult for her to move.
Lan Xin nodded, squatted down carefully to check Ali's injuries, and said that the imperial physician would come later to change the dressing for the princess.
"By the way, it's not convenient for me to stay here. You take people to clean up the Yinyue Pavilion next to the East Palace, and we will move there in a while." Ali said in a calm voice.
Lan Xin looked up at her: "But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has not made such arrangements..."
Ali raised his eyebrows and said in his usual domineering tone: "Are you mine, or the prince's?"
Lan Xin knelt down hurriedly: "Of course he is the princess's man."
"Then do as I say," Ali ate slowly, "It's not good for Xie Jingchuan if we stay in the East Palace."
After hearing this, Lan Xin went downstairs to make arrangements, and she was the only one left in the hall.
Soon, Ali entered the Yinyue Pavilion in a sedan chair.
The emperor and the imperial concubine also knew what happened in Qingluan Palace last night, and they both sent their personal palace servants to express their greetings.
Then, the imperial physician came to take the pulse and change the medicine, and needed someone from Qingluan Palace to go and get some medicine, so Ali sent Lan Xin to go.
After finally dealing with all these things, Ali went back to bed and fell asleep.
More than an hour later, she was awakened from her sleep by Ming Shuang, who lowered her voice and said, "Princess, the person you want to see is here."
Ali nodded: "Please ask her to come in, you stay outside, there is no need to serve inside."
"Yes." Mingshuang responded and went downstairs. After a while, the door of the palace was pushed open again.
A graceful figure dressed in palace attire approached, raised her head, which had been lowered all the time, and revealed her unforgettable face: "Little A-li, we meet again."
Ali smiled and said, "Please sit down, Madam Tan."
Madam Tan is Madam Rouge of Yurongzhai. She is of the same kind as A Li and is a great demon who has practiced for a thousand years.
She smiled faintly and sat down. Every move she made was particularly charming, like the butterfly hairpin hanging in her hair swaying slightly. "Why did you call me here so urgently? What's the matter?"
Ali told her everything about Shou'an Palace and also expressed his own guess.
At this time yesterday, she was in Shou'an Palace. After standing in the courtyard for a while, she suddenly smelled the same scent she had felt in Yurongzhai before.
That was the breath of a demon, but she didn't have it when she came to Shou'an Palace before.
The Imperial Medical Bureau has not yet been able to find out the cause of the Empress Dowager's illness. Coupled with the death of the palace maid, Ali is almost certain that there is a demon causing trouble in the palace.
But Ali himself has no magical powers, so the only way now is to find a way to go to Yurongzhai and ask for help from Madam Tan.
But the palace gates had been locked by then, so she could only wait until the next day. Unexpectedly, a fire broke out in Qingluan Palace at night, and she almost died in the fire.
Fortunately, Mingshuang was loyal and capable. She quickly sent a message out of the palace for her and invited Lady Tan to come into the palace.
After hearing this, Madam Tan formed a spell in her hand and closed her eyes to feel it.
With the demonic aura floating before his eyes, Ali waited at the side with his breath held high and his heart filled with anxiety.
Behind a door, Mingshuang was guarding the front of the hall seriously.
She was assigned to the princess by the Empress Dowager, and she is her only master.
She has always known that as a slave, she just has to do what her master tells her to do. As for why these orders are given, she doesn't need to know.
Mingshuang wiped the sweat from her face and stared at the sycamore tree in the yard in a daze.
Suddenly, a young palace maid she had arranged to guard outside ran over, looking a little nervous: "Sister, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's palanquin is coming to our palace!"
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