The heavy rain was still beating against the buildings in the Royal Palace and the hearts of the people in the Palace. Guangxin Palace was completely silent. Perhaps it was silence … at least, the malicious words of the brother and sister inside were covered by the sound of the rain and thunder. None of it reached outside the Palace.
Even so, there was still no one outside Guangxin Palace. Even old Eunuch Hong was not there. Everyone kept their distance. As long as they kept their distance from Guangxin Palace, it was the same as keeping their distance from death.
Eunuch Yao was still outside the Eastern Palace, but his thoughts had long turned to Guangxin Palace. His hands and feet were cold, and his heart was cold. He didn't know what was happening in the Palace. Although he knew he shouldn't think about that scene, he still couldn't help it.
He wiped away the rain on his face and carefully watched the movements in the Eastern Palace. Since the Emperor had left this Palace for him to watch, then he could not allow the empress and Crown Prince inside to make any noise.
Compared to Guangxin Palace, the situation in the Eastern Palace seemed to be much calmer. Although Eunuch Yao was nervous, he was not afraid. All of the servants in the Eastern Palace had been beheaded. Only the orphan and widow were left inside. No matter what, they wouldn't be able to make any noise.
However, his eyes, which were wet from the rain, suddenly became dry and burning!
…
…
Such a great fire!
The majestic flames rose from the beautiful palaces of the Eastern Palace and turned into countless fiery red sprites. They reached toward the rain-spattered sky. Incomparable heat accompanied the flames and quickly spread in all directions.
Eunuch Yao's pupils suddenly constricted, but the red in his eyes did not fade at all. The Eastern Palace was on fire! At this time, other than the noble mother and son in the Palace lighting the fire themselves, no one could do it. But … did this pair of mother and son want to burn themselves?
Furthermore, the rain was falling so heavily. How did the fire start? Why was the sky full of rain unable to extinguish the fire?
Eunuch Yao knew that this was not the time to investigate how the fire had started. He had to immediately make a decision on whether to put out the fire or what.
Should he allow the empress and Crown Prince to burn themselves to death? Eunuch Yao did not spend a long time to think. He knew that no matter how angry the Emperor was, if the empress and the Crown Prince died without enduring the Emperor's anger under his watch, the Emperor's anger would fall on his head.
A moment later, Eunuch Yao's throat seemed to have been scorched by fire. He yelled hoarsely and sharply, "There's a fire!"
…
…
There were countless large copper vats that stored water in the Royal Palace, and countless eunuchs and serving girls. When the Eastern Palace caught fire, there were already people who reacted and rushed over, desperately trying to put out the fire. Eunuch Yao was nervous and careful and did not participate. He stood on the periphery and watched the busy crowd with a dark expression. He was extremely careful and did not let anyone first come into contact with the mother and son in the burning palace.
This fire was a little strange. It didn't seem like the palace had ignited by itself. Instead, someone had used some highly flammable oil, so the fire was so fierce that even the rain couldn't extinguish it. However, when these materials burned out, the flame didn't have the power to continue, so it died out very quickly.
There were loyal eunuchs and servants who broke through the blackened palace doors and wanted to charge in to save their masters inside.
However, once the little eunuch broke through the palace doors, he found his vision darkened. For some reason, he had been hit in the head by a wooden pillar and fainted.
Eunuch Yao coldly walked in first. The guards and eunuchs behind him once again surrounded the Eastern Palace, blocking the people fighting the fire outside the palace.
The Eastern Palace had already been burned to a wretched state. On the stone floor in front of the palace, the empress was being held in the arms of the Crown Prince. Other than a few burn marks on her body, she was in a sorry state after being soaked by the rain.
Eunuch Yao bowed slightly. "The fire has been extinguished."
His meaning was very simple. Since the fire had been extinguished, the two masters had to temporarily stay in the Palace.
The Crown Prince, who had a string of blisters on his palm, stared into Eunuch Yao's eyes. A ruthless expression flashed through his face. He said each word clearly, "Unless you kill me now, the entire Royal Palace will know of the fire in the Eastern Palace. How long do you think you can hide it?"
Then, the Crown Prince raised his voice and calmly said, "I am fine. It's just that mother has fainted from the smoke." His voice easily traveled outside the Eastern Palace and fell into the ears of the people who had come to put out the fire. It made their hearts relax. As long as the empress and Crown Prince were fine, they wouldn't have to be unlucky.
However, when this voice fell into the ears of the eunuchs and guards surrounding the Eastern Palace, it represented another meaning.
…
…
Eunuch Yao's body shook and he slowly raised his head. Looking at the normally ordinary Crown Prince in front of him, he furrowed his brows slightly. Only now did he realize that this Crown Prince was, after all, the Emperor's own son. At the moment of impending disaster, this kind of decisiveness and self-immolation was used beautifully.
The Emperor had to take care of family matters and maintain his face, so he had chosen the darkest hours before dawn. Heaven had played along and sent down a thunderstorm to liven things up. Hundreds of servants had already died in the Royal Palace. It was to cover up the people's torrent of mouths.
However, there was a fire in the Eastern Palace. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince and empress were safe and sound. This matter could no longer be kept quiet. The so-called family matters were gradually turning into national matters.
Eunuch Yao looked at the calm Crown Prince. Suddenly, his heart jumped. He found that this usually good-for-nothing Crown Prince, regardless of whether it was his brows or expression, was very much like the Emperor when something happened.
… …
The woman with the most power in the Qing Kingdom, that old woman, had actually woken up an hour ago. Old people needed very little time to sleep, but the empress dowager still habitually lay on the large soft couch in Hanguang Palace with her eyes closed to rest.
For some reason, she had been awake for so long, but the sky was still so dark. It made her not interested in getting up and walking around the garden.
In particular, the wind, rain, and thunder later made the empress dowager furrow her brows and close her eyes even tighter. She was not afraid of thunder, but she hated the sound of it. She always felt that heaven had something against the Li family and was using this method to tell her.
After the wind and thunder, a faint clamor came from the distance. However, this noise quickly disappeared. The dark Palace recovered its peace.
The empress dowager did not want to lie down anymore. With the help of the nannies and serving girls, she slowly rose from the bed and shakily put on her clothes. She carefully ironed a green sash around her forehead and was helped to sit on a chair.
The serving girls silently carried a golden basin to help the old woman wash up. The warm water in the basin gave off steam.
The empress dowager stared at the steam in the basin in a daze.
After a moment, she sighed and waved her hand. "Where was the ruckus just now?"
The serving girls and nannies looked at each other. Although they had heard it and vaguely guessed it was from the Eastern Palace, it was still early in the morning. No one had come out of the Palace. No one knew what had happened. Even if someone guessed something had happened in the Eastern Palace, no one dared to voice their guess in front of the empress dowager.
At this moment, the palace maid holding the copper basin opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
An old eunuch slowly walked in from outside the Palace.
In the entire Royal Palace, other than the Emperor, only this old eunuch could enter the empress dowager's palace without being announced. When the serving girls and nannies around the empress dowager saw the old eunuch enter, they became even more silent. Only a glimmer of despair and struggle flashed across the serving girl's face.
Eunuch Hong slowly walked to the empress dowager's side and said, "A few days ago, the Eastern Palace caught a few servants with dirty hands and feet. In the end, they didn't kill them all and made a ruckus. I had Xiao Yao go. It was a small matter."
The empress dowager furrowed her brows slightly and made an "oh" sound. Her gaze glanced at the serving girl carrying the basin.
Old Eunuch Hong also glanced at the palace maid with his cloudy eyes.
The serving girl's body trembled and she slowly lowered her head.
…
…
However, she immediately raised her head and said quickly, "Eastern Palace …"
After saying these two words, she paused and stared in terror in front of her.
The Empress Dowager used her old and trembling hand to firmly hold Eunuch Hong's wrist because she knew that as long as Eunuch Hong was willing, this old dog had countless ways to make that palace maid unable to say a single word.
"There's a fire." The serving girl carrying the basin said in a trembling voice, "Such a big fire. The empress and the Crown Prince are still inside."
Eunuch Hong slowly shook his head and pulled his hand back into his sleeve.
The empress dowager stared closely at the serving girl and asked, "Where is the Emperor?"
"The Emperor is in Guangxin Palace."
The palace maid bit her lip and passed on her master's last words, which were also her last words in this world. She took out a hairpin from her sleeve with her left hand and pierced the tip of the hairpin into her throat, causing blood to gush out.
The basin in her hand fell to the ground with a crash. Her body also fell to the ground with a muffled thud.
Hanguang Palace was deathly silent. All of the serving girls and housemaids were stunned by this scene. No one could speak.
"Death is not worth pitying!" The empress dowager stood up and didn't even glance at the serving girl's body on the ground. She said, "To Guangxin Palace."
— —
The rain outside Guangxin Palace gradually lessened. The Eldest Princess's breathing also slowed. The red on her face had turned from pink to a deep red that was close to death. Her large and alluring eyes gradually protruded. It was very strange. Her body was suspended from the beautiful palace wall, and her life hung in the great hand which clasped her beautiful white neck.
Perhaps death was about to arrive, but this woman, the strangest woman in the Qing Kingdom in 20 years, was, in the end, crazy. Thus, there was not a glimmer of fear toward death in her eyes. There was only a faint hint of mockery and ridicule.
The target of the mockery and ridicule was, naturally, the most powerful person in the world in front of her, her brother, the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom.
Perhaps it was because of this hint of mockery, the Qing Emperor's hand loosened slightly, giving Li Yunrui a chance to catch her breath. Li Yunrui breathed deeply. Suddenly, she raised her fist and punched the Emperor's sturdy body with all her might. Because she was breathing too quickly, even her snot and saliva flowed out and dripped onto her still beautiful but slightly deformed face.
Perhaps death was not scary, but no one would suddenly grab a chance to live when they were about to die and not lose their will.
The Emperor looked at her coldly and mockingly. Enunciating each word, he said, "So, in the end, crazy people are still afraid of death."
The Eldest Princess spat on the Emperor's face and laughed crazily in a raspy voice.
The Emperor slowly wiped away the spit on his face. His expression did not change. He then raised his hand and slowly wiped away the thing on the Eldest Princess' face. Slowly, he said, "You and I, brother and sister, seem to have not had many intimate words these years. What harm is there in giving you a bit more time?"
"There's no need for time." The Eldest Princess chuckled with difficulty and said, "I was just thinking, if you kill me today, will you kill Chen Pingping next? It's very strange that you didn't bring a single Tiger Guard with you for such a big event like purging the palace … Who are you guarding against? Against? "
Given the situation in the Qing court, once the balance was completely broken, as the Emperor, he had to establish a new balance. The old generation would become sacrifices.
"Very good. Looks like Fan Jian is dead, and Fan Xian is also going to die. With so many people accompanying me, what do I care?"
The Eldest Princess suddenly spat at the Emperor's face again and said in a raspy voice, "You are alone. You are alone! Kill me. Kill me. You have no son. You have nothing. You are just a lonely ghost. "
"The Emperor does not need friends," the Emperor said coldly. "As for my sons, if they dare to rebel, I can have more."
Outside Guangxin Palace, a hurried knocking suddenly came from the door. The sound was very loud. It seemed that the person outside was in a hurry.
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