Emperor Kangxi's heart pounded like thunder.
Wan Anran's heart was pounding wildly. Her face was deathly pale, and she sighed softly, "Your Majesty... Consort Tong and Consort Wuya are still to come."
Kangxi's heart sank heavily.
He looked up at the main hall of Cining Palace, which was already half collapsed. The earthquake was still ongoing. Knowing that there were people inside was of no use. He could only pray that Consort Tong, who was trapped inside, could survive.
The only thing they can do now is wait.
More importantly, Kangxi had no time to worry about Consort Tong. Once the earthquake stopped, he stood up with Liang Jiugong's help.
Ignoring the lingering pain in his body, Kangxi solemnly ordered his men to tally the casualties in various locations, and also summoned members of the imperial family and court officials to an audience.
The entire Forbidden City was in complete chaos.
The Empress Dowager embraced Crown Prince Yinreng, Consort Hui comforted Yinzhi, and Consort Rong called for palace servants to search for Yinzhi and the Third Princess. The Empress methodically arranged for the concubines to move to an open space, while also remembering to call for people to search for the First Princess.
The remaining concubines also turned their attention to Consort Qi; the scene just now had shaken everyone's hearts.
The Emperor... rolled out carrying Consort Qi?
The thought that the Emperor would risk everything for Consort Qi sent chills down everyone's spines.
More of the imperial concubines looked at the Empress Dowager.
What will the Empress Dowager's reaction be? To everyone's disappointment, the Empress Dowager remained expressionless, her mind completely focused on this sudden calamity.
Many palace servants in Cining Palace were killed or injured.
The remaining palace servants, taking advantage of the fact that the earthquake had stopped, took turns, under the command of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, to try to move the rubble and rescue people from the debris.
The concubines were somewhat disappointed.
What would the Empress's reaction be? They turned their attention to Empress Niohuru, only to find her stepping forward and tightly embracing Consort Qi.
The Empress embraced Wan Anran.
She bit her lip, her heart pounding wildly, and her hands clenched into fists.
It really happened... the earth shook!
The Empress had been filled with regret and remorse for not being able to dissuade Consort Qi in the past few days, but now it was really happening right before her eyes? The Empress's face was full of complicated emotions, and she couldn't help but choke up as she said, "...If only...if only...if only it had spread sooner, that would have been better."
Hindsight is always 20/20.
Emperor Kangxi was in this situation, and so was the Empress. All they could do now was to rescue and resettle the people as quickly as possible, minimizing the losses.
As the earthquake subsided, the palace servants began to search through the ruins of Cining Palace, trying to find those trapped inside. The first things they brought out were several corpses, and then, when they moved the beams, Wuya, who had been trapped inside, appeared before everyone.
Her face was covered in soot, her hair was a messy clump, and her eyes were filled with lingering fear.
Uya was really lucky to have agreed.
If you went any further forward, the falling beam would hit you on the spot; if you went any further back, you might get hit by the tiles behind you.
And her position was just right.
Even the collapsed rubble left small gaps, so despite the horrific scene, no one was actually injured. Even the imperial concubines marveled at this.
Wan Anran suddenly froze in her tracks.
Listening to the palace servants' discussion, she suddenly remembered that this scene seemed to be one she had seen before? Unlike her and the Emperor getting out, Uya agreed, no! In the novel, Consort De pulled the Emperor back, and the two of them were buried in the ruins together.
During the half hour or so they were rescued, the two clung tightly to each other, the disaster and darkness bringing their hearts even closer.
After this incident, Consort De suddenly rose to become the emperor's favorite, and her good fortune impressed the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. From then on, she rose rapidly in rank.
And now...
Good luck as it may be, the matter of saving the emperor was never mentioned; it was just a casual remark made by the concubines.
But Uya didn't think that way.
She was convinced that she had saved the Emperor. As Kangxi approached from afar, she pushed aside the palace servants and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty!"
Kangxi was startled by Wuya's agreement.
Uya replied, choking back tears, "Your Majesty, I am content to see you safe and sound!"
"...Hmm, ah." Considering that Consort Wuya was concerned about him, Kangxi didn't hold it against her, but his attitude was particularly cold: "I understand, Consort Wuya, you may leave now."
Liang Jiugong waved his hand.
The two eunuchs then dragged Wuya away.
Uya agreed, her face full of astonishment.
She cried out incredulously, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It was I who saved you!"
In an instant, everyone's attention turned to Wuya.
Emperor Kangxi's face darkened with displeasure, and he rebuked her sternly, "Consort Wuya, are you possessed by a demon? Do you think I can't see who saved me?"
The concubines slightly widened their eyes.
The Emperor didn't deny that someone had saved him? Everyone knew who that person was without even thinking.
It's Consort Qi!
The Empress Dowager was also somewhat surprised. The reason she didn't feel angry towards Consort Qi was because she trusted the Emperor; he was definitely not someone who would disregard his own safety for the sake of women.
Unexpectedly, the truth was completely different from what she had imagined: it wasn't the Emperor who saved Consort Qi, but Consort Qi who saved the Emperor! The Empress Dowager couldn't help but ask, "Emperor, is it really—"
Before the words had even finished,
The palace servants behind them exclaimed in surprise, "We've found the Imperial Concubine!"
Immediately afterwards, five or six palace maids rushed forward and half-supported, half-carried out the pale-faced Consort Tong.
Kangxi immediately lost all other thoughts and hurried towards Consort Tong. Consort Tong was pale and covered in dried blood; her frail appearance made everyone's heart skip a beat.
Empress Niohuru's expression changed slightly.
She frantically called for the imperial physician, only to see Consort Tong with tears streaming down her face: "Your Majesty, I am fine... This blood... This blood is all from Granny Zhao!"
Then two palace servants carried out a mutilated corpse.
Her upper and lower body were almost completely separated, all the blood had drained away, and her head was unrecognizable. She could only be barely identified by her clothing.
Consort Tong let out a wail.
Unable to contain herself, she rushed forward and burst into tears. No matter how many faults Zhao Mama had committed, she was still the wet nurse who had watched her grow up since childhood, and her heart and soul were entirely devoted to her.
And now... and now...
Granny Zhao, I must avenge her!
Consort Tong stopped crying, her eyes filled with bloodlust: "Your Majesty, it was Consort Wuya! She pushed me, and Granny Zhao was trapped under the beam while trying to save me... she was trapped while trying to save me!"
Consort Tong glared resentfully at Consort Wuya.
If it weren't for the palace servants pulling her back, Consort Tong would have rushed forward and torn Consort Wuya in two alive.
An uproar erupted around them.
Uya agreed, cold sweat trickling down her forehead. She stammered, "This...this concubine didn't...this concubine...this concubine was busy saving the Emperor!?"
"Save the Emperor, yes, save the Emperor."
Consort Tong's face twisted in disgust: "In order to rush forward, you pushed me aside..."
So does that mean Uya really did save the Emperor?
The surrounding concubines were all stunned, but Kangxi frowned in displeasure: "The person who pushed me was Consort Qi. I saw it with my own eyes, how could I mistake her for someone else?"
"Your Majesty... has not mistaken me for someone else."
Next, trembling, Xu Mama was helped out. The moment she saw Zhao Mama's body, tears streamed down her face: "After the noble lady screamed, she wanted to go forward to remind the Emperor, but who would have thought that Consort Wuya would push the noble lady down, trying to save the Emperor and win his favor. Perhaps the screams of the noble lady and Consort Wuya also startled Consort Qi. This servant saw Consort Qi push the Emperor."
Granny Xu also disliked Consort Qi.
But compared to the two-faced Consort Wuya, who nearly killed her mistress, Consort Qi was practically a servant girl. At least even after being expelled from Chengqian Palace by her mistress, she never spoke ill of the palace.
Granny Xu's voice was full of accusation.
Uya agreed, her body drenched in cold sweat. She wanted to argue, but the more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt.
Could it be...?
No, no, no! How could she deliberately harm someone? Uya agreed, her face full of panic, her voice stammering, "No—no! You have no evidence!"
There is no evidence.
However, Emperor Kangxi was no longer willing to trust Consort Wuya. First, she tried to steal Consort Qi's credit, and then she was exposed for the heinous act of pushing Consort Tong down. Given all the things she had done before, his eyes were filled with disgust.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened further.
She gave a signal, and several palace servants rushed forward and pinned Wuya down. The Empress Dowager's only instruction was: "I do not wish to see her again."
Upon hearing this, Uya struggled in terror.
She writhed in terror, utterly terrified. Seeing the emperor's indifferent indifference, Consort Wuya could no longer control her emotions, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me! I understand you best—this earthquake isn't over yet, Your Majesty! It's not over yet! Three to five days, maybe even half a month—"
Even though his words were incoherent, their meaning still caused a series of screams and chaos in the courtyard.
Such an earthquake, lasting only two or three days, is enough to destroy most of the capital city, let alone three to five days or even half a month.
Kangxi's expression changed drastically, and Wan Anran's heart skipped a beat. She covered her mouth tightly: "Uya Clan... knows the plot?!"
Kangxi had originally intended to deal with Consort Wuya later, but now he truly intended to kill her. His eyebrows furrowed, and he roared with murderous intent, "This palace maid, Wuya, has spoken ill of Heaven's will and cursed the people; her crimes are heinous! Guards—drag her away and beat her to death!"
The Empress Dowager and the Empress watched coldly.
Only Wan Anran felt a jolt of fear. If, as Wuya had said, this earthquake was going to last this long...
Empress Niohuru's heart skipped a beat.
She instinctively tried to stop Consort Qi, but Consort Qi was far more agile than the Empress. Wan Anran jogged forward: "Your Majesty, we are currently in the midst of a disaster, and it is not advisable to shed blood."
Emperor Kangxi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Wan Anran lowered her voice: "...Uya doesn't seem to be lying. What if... what if... it really is possible?"
The concubines' expressions were unusually strange.
Even Consort Xuan couldn't help but frown. If Consort Qi thought that saving his life was enough to make the Emperor listen to her advice, then she was sorely mistaken. The Emperor was a man of unwavering resolve and would never be easily influenced by others.
Emperor Kangxi's expression changed slightly.
He called out to Liang Jiugong and ordered that Wuya be gagged and detained alone.
Uya collapsed like a lump of mud.
The courtyard was completely silent, everyone's heart pounding—the Emperor had actually listened to Consort Qi!?
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