The Emperor's birthday celebration has finally arrived.
From before dawn, the entire capital was immersed in an eerie atmosphere. On the surface, everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, filled with joy and celebration, a scene of peace and prosperity. However, beneath this festive facade, undercurrents were surging, and even the air seemed to be filled with the tension and oppression of an impending storm.
Within the palace walls, the situation was outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the palace banquet was to be held, had already been decorated in a magnificent and resplendent manner. Palace maids and eunuchs moved about among the eunuchs, carefully making the final preparations. In those unseen corners, countless eyes were vigilantly monitoring every move that took place.
Regent Xiao Yuan's spies were everywhere in the palace. He knew that the success or failure of tonight's operation depended on this one move, so he would not relax his vigilance in the slightest.
In the morning, at 9:00 AM.
Just as everything was ready inside the main hall, awaiting the guests to take their seats, a grand procession unexpectedly arrived outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Leading the group was none other than Empress Lin Wanwan.
She was dressed in a vermilion palace gown embroidered with golden phoenixes, her demeanor dignified and her expression solemn. Behind her followed the female official Qin Zheng, as well as a group of guards and maids from Kunning Palace.
Li Quan, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department in charge of the hall's decorations, greeted the visitor with a beaming smile. Li Quan was a trusted confidant promoted by the Regent, who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly in the palace, showing little respect even to the Empress. But today, he appeared unusually respectful.
"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. May I ask what brings Your Majesty here?" He bowed, but a barely perceptible hint of wariness flickered in his eyes.
Lin Wanwan glanced at him indifferently with her phoenix eyes and said in an unquestionable tone, "I have come here with orders."
Ignoring Li Quan's flattery, she strode into the main hall, saying in a deep voice as she went, "Since the beginning of autumn this year, the weather has been dry, and there have been minor fire incidents in several parts of the palace. Tonight is His Majesty's birthday banquet, with all civil and military officials and members of the royal family present. The safety of the palace is of paramount importance. I am concerned and have come to personally inspect the fire prevention measures in the hall, just in case."
This reason was presented in a grand and reasonable manner, leaving no room for criticism.
The Empress was concerned for His Majesty's safety and personally supervised fire prevention at the palace banquet. Who dared to say a word against it?
Li Quan's smile froze slightly, but he immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise and thoughtful, which is truly a blessing for us servants. Please, Your Majesty, please inspect the area."
Although he had his doubts, he couldn't fathom what tricks the Empress could possibly pull in broad daylight, right under his nose. After all, every arrangement in the hall had been repeatedly checked by him and the Prince's trusted confidants to ensure absolute safety.
Lin Wanwan nodded, and accompanied by Li Quan and Qin Zheng, she began to "inspect" the main hall.
She walked slowly and looked around carefully, stopping every now and then to ask about the lamp oil for the palace lanterns or the placement of the candlesticks; everything seemed so normal.
Li Quan followed behind, his wariness gradually easing. It seemed he had been overthinking things. This empress was probably just putting on an act, merely displaying her supposed virtue.
Just as he was thinking this, Lin Wanwan suddenly stopped in front of a huge golden pillar with a coiled dragon. She looked up at the intricate decorations made of various colored brocades wrapped around the pillar and frowned slightly.
"Manager Li."
"Your servant is here."
"Whose work is this decoration on the beams and pillars?" Lin Wanwan asked with a hint of displeasure. "His Majesty values simplicity. Such elaborate and cumbersome decorations hanging here are not only unsightly but also extravagant and an eyesore. What if they were accidentally burned by candlelight? Wouldn't that be an even greater hidden danger?"
Li Quan was taken aback and quickly explained, "Your Majesty, this...this is to add to the festive atmosphere..."
“Festival celebrations aren’t built up with these fancy things,” Lin Wanwan interrupted him coldly. “Take it down.”
"Huh?" Li Quan was stunned. These decorations were part of their carefully arranged "trigger material"! If they were removed...
"What? Don't you understand what I'm saying?" Lin Wanwan's phoenix eyes turned cold, and an invisible pressure instantly descended. "Or is it that in your eyes, Chief Steward Li, the safety of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is less important than a few rags?"
When this serious accusation was leveled against him, Li Quan trembled with fear and immediately knelt down, saying, "This servant wouldn't dare! This servant wouldn't dare! This servant will order someone to remove him immediately!"
He cursed inwardly, but dared not disobey. It was just a decoration on a pillar, wasn't it? So what if it was changed? There were plenty of such "decorations" in the main hall anyway, so it wouldn't make a difference.
“Not just this one.” Lin Wanwan seemed to read his mind, and pointed with her slender finger to several other beams in similarly critical positions. “Replace those too. Replace them with… those plain-colored fireproof silks from the warehouse. Simple, elegant, and more reliable.”
Li Quan's heart was bleeding. Those places were all crucial points on the ignition line! But looking at the Empress's unquestionable gaze, he could only grit his teeth and tearfully reply, "Yes...this servant obeys the decree."
Soon, the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department brought ladders and hurriedly removed the gorgeous brocades, replacing them with fireproof silk soaked in alum water, which Lin Wanwan had arranged through Xiao Che. Although the whole process caused some commotion, it proceeded exceptionally smoothly under the banners of "the Empress's decree" and "fire safety."
After dealing with the beams and pillars, Lin Wanwan strolled towards the long corridor leading to the back of the throne.
This long corridor is the only escape route marked on the map.
She stopped once again, looking at the magnificent, heavy wool carpet that had been brought as tribute from the Western Regions.
"Manager Li, this carpet must be quite old, right?"
Li Quan's heart leaped again, and he forced a smile, saying, "Your Majesty, this carpet is well-maintained and still looks brand new..."
"Brand new?" Lin Wanwan chuckled lightly, tapping a corner of the carpet with the tip of her shoe. "Look at the color here, it's all worn and dark. Tonight is His Majesty's birthday, and people from all directions are coming to offer their congratulations. Wouldn't it be beneath the dignity of our Great Liang to use such an old carpet to entertain our guests?"
“This…” Li Quan was speechless.
"Change it." Lin Wanwan's tone remained unquestionable. "I remember it rained a few days ago, and there's a batch of freshly washed thick felt drying in the storeroom. Although it's a bit plain, it's clean and thick. Let's use that. Oh, right, to prevent dust, remember to sprinkle enough water on it before changing it, so it's a bit damp."
Li Quan was on the verge of tears. That wool carpet, dry yet flammable, was a crucial element in the Regent's plan to block this escape route and set fire to the inner palace! Now the Empress not only wanted to replace it, but also a thick, soaked felt rug?!
How...how can this possibly catch fire?!
He wanted to object, but found he couldn't find any reason to do so. Every word the Empress spoke was based on the high ground of "saving His Majesty's face," and if he dared to utter even a single word of dissent, it would be disrespectful to the Emperor!
Under the strong impetus of the Empress's decree, the magnificent wool carpet was quickly removed and replaced by a thick felt that was soaked through with water, turning the entire escape route into an absolutely safe fireproof passage.
After doing all this, Lin Wanwan seemed to nod in satisfaction. She glanced at Li Quan, whose face was ashen, and said in a gentle tone, "Yes, that's much more secure. Steward Li has done a good job, and I am very satisfied."
Li Quan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.
Qin Zheng, following behind Lin Wanwan, was already in a state of turmoil. Watching the Empress calmly and effortlessly defuse the Regent's meticulously laid death trap with a few plausible excuses, she was filled with boundless admiration and awe.
Deceive everyone!
This is the real deception!
Under the watchful eyes of countless enemies, she managed to spare the lives of everyone attending the palace banquet that night!
After completing her inspection, Lin Wanwan, accompanied by her entourage, prepared to leave.
Li Quan, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, respectfully escorted her to the outside of the palace, praising her with a fawning expression: "Your Majesty has been so thoughtful and has handled the fire prevention matters so flawlessly. This is truly a blessing for the harem and for our Great Liang!"
Lin Wanwan stopped, turned around, looked at the fawning face of the Regent's henchmen, and suddenly smiled slightly.
That smile was exquisitely beautiful, yet it carried a profound meaning that was difficult to explain.
“Yes,” she said softly, her voice as gentle as a breeze, “I only hope that everyone tonight…”
She paused, her gaze seemingly piercing through Li Quan, looking at the magnificent, golden palace behind him, which was about to become a hellish inferno.
"...They will all be safe and sound."
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