bayedsolid Chapter 180 After the Palace Was Burned
Chapter 180 After the Palace Was Burned
"There's a fire... There's a fire!" In the middle of the night, the entire palace was immersed in silence, but a burst of terrified shouts came from the Yafeng Pavilion, breaking the tranquility of the night. The sound was sharp and rapid, as if piercing the night sky, making people terrified.
Inside the Yafeng Pavilion, shadows swayed, eunuchs and palace maids ran back and forth in a panic, looking flustered and at a loss. Their footsteps and shouts intertwined, forming a chaotic scene.
The bedroom was filled with smoke and flickering flames. The fire was getting bigger and bigger. Zhu Meiren rushed out of the bedroom in a panic with the help of her personal maid. Her hair was disheveled, her face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were full of fear and panic. Her clothes were blackened by smoke, and there were still ashes on her body.
Lady Zhu tightly grasped the hand of the palace maid, her body trembling. She coughed and tried to breathe fresh air to calm herself down. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but because she was too frightened, she could not make a clear sound for a while.
The palace maids surrounded Concubine Zhu and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, your majesty. The fire has been put out. I'm glad you're okay." They gently patted Concubine Zhu's back, trying to ease her tension.
Lady Zhu slowly raised her head and looked at everything around her, still filled with fear. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and then said, "What on earth is going on? Why did the fire suddenly start? Is anyone injured?" She looked around, hoping to get an answer.
The maids all shook their heads, saying they didn't know the cause of the fire. Lady Zhu frowned, thinking to herself. She knew that this sudden fire was no accident...
At this time, a guard came hurriedly and knelt down to report: "Your Majesty, I have found out that the fire was deliberately set by someone."
Lady Zhu was shocked. She had guessed that this matter was not simple, and now her guess was confirmed.
"Have you found out who did it?" she asked in a deep voice.
"There is no conclusive evidence pointing to a specific person at the moment. But I found some suspicious traces at the scene..." the guard replied in a serious tone.
Concubine Zhu's eyes turned cold, "No matter who this person is, I will find him out!"
She turned to the maid beside her and ordered: "Clean up the fire scene immediately and check if there is any other damage. At the same time, send more people to protect my safety. Never let this happen again!"
The palace maids took the order and left. Concubine Zhu looked at the burned Yafeng Pavilion and secretly swore in her heart that she would take this opportunity to seek justice for herself.
At this time, Yunxi and the emperor who received the news came in a hurry. Yunxi hurried to Zhu Meiren and asked with concern: "Zhu Meiren, are you okay? Are you frightened?"
Concubine Zhu shook her head gently. "I'm fine, but it's a pity that my bedroom was burned like this. Besides, I don't know how the palace maids and eunuchs and I will live." She looked helpless and worried.
The emperor looked at the burned Yafeng Pavilion with a gloomy expression, "How could it catch fire so easily? And it's not autumn now, it's really strange! Someone, investigate this matter thoroughly for me and make sure to find out the cause!" His voice revealed majesty and determination.
A complicated look flashed across Yunxi's eyes, and she said with concern: "Your Majesty, I think this matter is quite strange. Why did Concubine Zhu's bedroom suddenly catch fire? Did someone deliberately plot against her?" She looked at Concubine Zhu, hinting at something.
Concubine Zhu's heart tightened. She understood that Yunxi was hinting at her. She responded calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Concubine Xi. However, the matter has not been investigated yet, so it is not appropriate to draw a conclusion too early."
The emperor nodded, "Well, Concubine Zhu has a point. We will make a conclusion after the truth comes out." He looked at the guards, "You must step up the investigation and not slack off at all." The guards responded in unison, "Yes, my Lord!" Then the emperor comforted Concubine Zhu and promised to find out the truth as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, how can we live in Yafeng Pavilion now that it has been burned down like this?" Concubine Zhu cried so hard that her eyes were filled with pity.
The emperor looked at the dilapidated Yafeng Pavilion in front of him, frowned slightly, and fell into deep thought.
"Your Majesty, I heard that Changle Palace is very large and has side halls. I would like to request to move to Concubine Xi's side hall in Changle Palace to stay temporarily?" Concubine Zhu looked at the emperor expectantly.
Yunxi couldn't help but be surprised. She quickly said, "There is an unused side hall in Changle Palace, but wouldn't that be too unfair to you, Lady Zhu?"
Lady Zhu replied with tears of gratitude: "I am already satisfied to have a place to stay, how dare I despise it." After that, she turned to Yunxi and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for giving me this place."
Seeing this, the emperor said, "In that case, let's clean up the side hall of Changle Palace for Concubine Zhu to live in."
Although Yunxi felt something was wrong, she could not disobey the emperor's will, so she smiled and said, "I will arrange it right away."
A fire not only burned down Concubine Zhu's bedroom, but also made the people in the harem more complicated...
After Concubine Zhu moved into the side hall of Changle Palace, she was secretly happy because she could finally monitor Yunxi's every move from a close distance. Moreover, Yunxi was deeply favored by the emperor, so the emperor must have many opportunities to come to Changle Palace.
One day, Lady Zhu accidentally met Yunxi's maid. She showed a concerned look on her face and asked the maid about Yunxi's recent situation. The maid politely replied that Yunxi was fine and thanked Lady Zhu for her concern. Lady Zhu smiled and said that she hoped to give Yunxi a small gift to express her kindness and care. After hesitating for a moment, the maid agreed and expressed her willingness to pass the gift to Yunxi on behalf of Lady Zhu.
Lady Zhu was secretly happy to see the maid agreed so readily. She returned to her room and carefully took out an exquisite sachet. The sachet looked gorgeous and exuded a faint fragrance, but it was filled with a special herb - lacquer tree powder. This herb can cause itching on the skin and make people feel extremely uncomfortable.
Concubine Zhu was secretly delighted. She knew Yunxi liked spices and would definitely accept this gift. As long as Yunxi used this sachet for a long time, her skin would become red and swollen, and her face would be damaged. In this way, the emperor's favor for Yunxi might decrease, and her status in Changle Palace would be improved. Thinking of this, Concubine Zhu couldn't help laughing.
A few days later, Yunxi finally received the gift from Lady Zhu. When she took the sachet from the maid, she sniffed it carefully. With the medical knowledge she had learned before the time travel, she immediately realized that there was something wrong with the sachet.
"This sachet is quite unique, but..." Yunxi frowned slightly, then pinched the powder in the sachet with her fingers and smelled it again, "As expected, there is lacquer tree powder added in it!"