The palace that Princess An Le used to entertain her guests was called Bi You Palace. It was the largest palace building in Da Xing Yuan. Not a single nail was used in the entire palace. Everything was built using mortise and tenon joints.
This palace had been built since the second year of Renshou of the Great Sui. It had hosted Emperor Wen Yang Jian, Emperor Yang Guang, Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and countless concubines and even relatives of the emperor. It had always been in perfect condition. But now, it had become a blazing volcano.
The flames soared and the heat burned their noses and mouths. Everyone could only retreat again and again. The eunuchs and eunuchs of the Changle, Eastern, and Western eunuchs who were in charge of the Forbidden Garden heard the news and rushed over. They drew water from the Jade Pool nearby to extinguish the fire. But the palace was made of wood. Once it started to burn, the fire could not be contained.
Under the rising flames, no one could stand within a hundred feet. A few daring eunuchs tried to force their way closer. Their hair was immediately burnt and curled up. They could not even open their eyes. How could they put out the fire like this? They could only watch as the fire engulfed the entire palace.
Zhang Changzong looked at the flames that were as tall as a small mountain. He clapped his hands and praised, "What a big fire. It's a pity that it's not as spectacular as the Ming Tang and Heaven fires in Luoyang."
Yang Fan looked at him from the corner of his eyes. He thought, "Does this guy think he's setting off fireworks? Such a big and magnificent palace is gone just like that. It's as if he still wants to see more. "
Yang Fan turned around and looked at the palace that was completely engulfed in flames. He sighed with regret. Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. Yang Fan's eyes flashed as he looked at that pair of eyes. Li Guo'er hurriedly withdrew her gaze and turned her head away, as if she had never seen him before.
However, even though she withdrew her gaze quickly, Yang Fan still caught a glimpse of it. It was an excited and bewitching gaze. Bi You Palace is on fire. Why is she looking at me? Why is her gaze so strange? Yang Fan frowned slightly. An uneasy feeling rose in his heart.
Boom!
A huge pillar fell down, sending up countless sparks. The flames first dimmed, then burned even more fiercely. One of the palace walls was on the verge of collapsing, and finally collapsed in the fire. The raging flames that came rushing towards them forced them to step back again and again. They had to retreat more than a hundred feet before they could regain their balance.
The majestic palace had finally been reduced to a pile of rubble. Although the fire was still burning, the blazing flames had already begun to die down. Luo Shanqian, the Head Steward of the Forbidden Garden, who had rushed over, saw this scene and his legs went soft. He fell to the ground on his butt.
His white and plump double chin trembled, as if he was mourning the death of his parents. "It's over, it's over. The Aquamarine Palace is finished. How can I, your husband, bear such a great sin …"
Yang Qingfeng, the Head Steward of Perpetual Music, had a dark and pale expression on his face. Like a little ghost that had crawled out of a pit, he moved in front of Luo Shanqian and said miserably, "Eunuch Luo, the Aquamarine Palace is on fire. What should we do now?"
Luo Shanqian did not know where he got the strength from. His round and fat body actually crawled up from the ground with a grunt. He stared hard with his puffy eyes and shouted in a shrill voice, "You ask me? Who should I ask? You bastard, how could you cause the Aquamarine Palace to catch fire in broad daylight? "
Yang Qingfeng cried out in grievance, "Eunuch Luo, you can't blame me for this. It's true that I am in charge of Daxing Garden, but I can't always be in the Aquamarine Palace."
Luo Shanqian gave him a big slap, causing Yang Qingfeng to spin twice on the spot. Luo Shanqian rebuked in a shrill voice, "So you're saying that you're in the right? Why would the Aquamarine Palace catch fire out of nowhere? Was it caused by the dry weather? You have to give me an explanation. Otherwise, you, Yang Qingfeng, won't be able to escape responsibility! "
As Luo Shanqian spoke, he winked at him. His round, white, and clean face was like a large pig's head that had shed its fur. With a slight shake of his neck, his double chin would tremble incessantly. His pair of puffy puffy eyes still had to make a suggestive expression of pursing his lips and knitting his eyebrows. It was truly difficult for him.
When Yang Qingfeng saw Luo Shanqian's squinting eyes and crooked mouth, she thought that he had suffered a stroke from the fire in the Aquamarine Palace. She was stunned for a moment before suddenly coming to her senses. She hurriedly shouted, "It just rained here yesterday. How could it be dry? This … this is clearly the result of the carelessness of the cooks. They lost the fire seed and caused the fire."
Luo Shanqian secretly heaved a sigh of relief. This fellow was not too stupid after all.
Luo Shanqian ran to Princess Anle's side like a round meatball. He bowed with his hands in front of him and said, "Princess, why would the Aquamarine Palace catch fire out of nowhere? This is clearly the result of the carelessness of the cooks brought by the Du family. If the imperial court investigates this matter, please bear witness for this servant."
Princess Anle glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes and reprimanded, "I am having a banquet today. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but now it has been ruined by this fire. You eunuchs caused the fire because of your carelessness and nearly cost me my life. Now you still want to push the blame onto others? "
Eunuch Luo was wrapped in a tight green robe. His back was already drenched in sweat. Now that he heard that Princess Anle seemed to want to cover up for the Du family's cooks and put the blame on them, he was both anxious and afraid. He sweated profusely, "Your Highness, this Aquamarine Palace has been here for many years. Nothing has ever happened before. Now that there is a fire for no reason, it is naturally the result of the carelessness of the cooks. Your Highness must uphold justice for this servant."
Hearing this, Du Wentian was unable to restrain his anger. He stepped forward and said, "According to Eunuch Luo, this fire should be blamed on the cooks. But looking at the source of the fire, it is clearly not under the cooks."
Yang Qingfeng said, "There are curtains hanging everywhere in this grand hall. They are all flammable and can be ignited with just a spark. Although the source of the fire is not under the cooks, can't it be caused by the scattered fire seed under the cooks? It is daytime now and there are no candles. The only fire seed in the Aquamarine Palace is under the cooks. If it is not under the cooks, who else could it be? "
There were also a few steward eunuchs who attended the banquet today. They were more or less friends with Eunuch Luo and Eunuch Yang. Even if they were not friends, they knew that if this matter was placed on Eunuch Luo's head, it would be a great sin. They all worked in the palace and would naturally stand on Eunuch Luo's side. Immediately, a few steward eunuchs came forward and helped Eunuch Yang argue.
Chen Jia mixed in with the group of cooks and said in a low voice, "Did you hear that? These eunuchs want to push the blame onto you. If this crime is confirmed, it is a crime punishable by beheading! "
When the twenty or so cooks hired from several large restaurants heard Chen Jia say that this group of cowardly eunuchs wanted to push the blame of the fire on them, they couldn't help but be shocked and angry, "This is ridiculous! You are drinking and having fun in the hall while we are smoking and sweating in the kitchen. Now that something has happened, you want to push the blame onto us? "
A group of sorrowful and angry cooks immediately rushed to Princess Anle's side and argued with the group of cowardly eunuchs. The burly cooks had a deep voice like a great bell, while the high-pitched eunuch's voice was as clear as a light chime. Both of them argued and neither gave an inch. The cooks were still wearing aprons. Some of them didn't forget to carry their spatulas when they ran for their lives. In their anger, they also waved their spatulas. It was a spectacular sight.
Zhang Changzong stood at the side, taking pleasure in other people's misfortune. The more he watched, the more amused he became. Yang Fan's expression, on the other hand, gradually turned serious. He glanced at Princess Anle, who stood there, watching the two sides argue until their faces were red to the ears. Her lips slightly curled up, forming a seductive arc.
Yang Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and waved his hand behind him. Ren Wei immediately walked to his side. Yang Fan whispered a few words into Ren Wei's ear. Ren Wei was startled at first, but then nodded and hurriedly walked out of the crowd, spurring his horse to gallop away. The scene was in a state of chaos, so no one noticed his departure.
Seeing that a lawsuit had broken out at the scene of the fire, the guests were somewhat at a loss. The influential figures of the aristocratic families gathered together to discuss. Dugu Yu represented everyone and came before Wu Chongxun.
Dugu Yu cupped his hands towards Wu Chongxun and Princess Anle, saying, "Princess, Prince's son-in-law, we are greatly honored by your warm hospitality today. We didn't expect such an unexpected turn of events, it is truly a pity. Now that things are like this, we cannot stay for long. We will take our leave now. "
"Dear guests, please take your time, An Le has something to say."
Before Wu Chongxun could nod in agreement, Princess Anle suddenly spoke first, "Today's unexpected accident has dampened everyone's mood, An Le is also very regretful. My Imperial Grandmother is about to move the capital, but unexpectedly Biyou Palace was destroyed in a fire today. Imperial Grandmother will definitely not be happy when she hears about it, An Le also feels anxious when he thinks about it.
Speaking of which, the forbidden gardens of Chang 'an's palace are currently under the jurisdiction of the Shangguan system. Now that the eunuch and Keng Ti have their own claims, An Le is young and inexperienced, so he doesn't know how to handle it. An Le thinks that this matter should be reported to the Shangguan system, and who is right and who is wrong, should be decided by the Shangguan system.
But firstly, this matter is of great importance, An Le is afraid that she won't be able to explain it clearly. Secondly, the host of today's banquet is An Le, so if we think about it carefully, An Le is also responsible, so how can I seek justice for others? Thirdly, the Du family is helping me organize the banquet today. Even if I maintain a fair heart, I will inevitably be criticized for being biased, so I would like to invite everyone to be a witness … "
Princess Anle spoke with fervor and assurance, her expression alternating between sadness and awkwardness. That delicate and pitiful look made one's heart ache, but what she said was even more reasonable. Today, everyone came to attend the banquet, and hearing that the host was in such a difficult position, how could they say that they wanted to leave? Yang Fan heard half of it and understood An Le's intention, and his lips couldn't help but reveal a trace of a cold smile.
Zhang Changzong had been watching the show from the sidelines, but now that he heard that Princess Anle wanted to bring everyone to see Shanghai Wan 'er, he instantly panicked. Right now, how could Shanghai Wan' er see anyone, not even a single person, let alone so many people. Once they see Shanghai Wan 'er, this matter can no longer be concealed.
Zhang Changzong was anxious and was about to rush out to stop her, but was pulled back by Yang Fan. Zhang Changzong anxiously said, "Why is Second Lang stopping me, something big is going to happen!"
Yang Fan said in a low voice, "Everything An Le said is reasonable, what reason does Sixth Lang have to stop her?"
"This … this … even if I have no reason, I will still stop her. Shangguan Wan 'er cannot see anyone now, so I will not allow her to go. Does she dare to make things difficult for me?"
Yang Fan said, "Sixth Lang, do you still not understand why this fire started?"
Zhang Changzong was stunned at first, then shocked, "Could it be … could it be that she burned Bi You Palace to force Shangguan Wan to see her?"
Yang Fan said, "From the looks of it, I'm afraid so! Sixth Lang, if it was any other time, I also believe that she would not dare to offend you. But now it seems that the mastermind is clearly An Le! In order to take revenge on you for her brother and sister, she painstakingly did not hesitate to burn down Bi You Palace. Now that the dagger has been revealed, do you think that she will give up this great opportunity to force Shangguan Wan to see her just because she is worried about angering you? "
Zhang Changzong was shocked and angry, "Then what should we do?"
Yang Fan suddenly whispered something into his ear. Zhang Changzong's eyes brightened and he asked in pleasant surprise, "Is this true?"
Yang Fan smiled slightly and said calmly, "Sixth Lang, when have I ever disappointed you when I have worked with you on important matters?"
Zhang Changzong laughed, but just as the laughter rushed out of his throat, he hurriedly held it back. Luckily he held it back in time and only made an explosive sound. This place was so smoky that others would think that he was choking on his throat. Zhang Changzong coughed, lowered his voice and said excitedly, "Then I will endure for a while. As long as I can get through this, humph!"
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