The official who was holding the Emperor's arm was intimidated by his gaze and let go in fear. Without any hesitation, that flash of imperial yellow rushed into the raging fire.
The guards responsible for protecting the Emperor's safety, seeing that he had charged in, also grabbed water buckets from the eunuchs. Some poured water on themselves before rushing in, while others quickly went to extinguish the fire.
Some entered carrying water buckets, and upon finding the Emperor, without a word, doused him entirely with water.
It was because of this that the Emperor felt his body cool down rapidly, and the burning pain on his skin became less intense.
"Yue... cough cough cough cough cough..."
The Xuanwu Emperor had just opened his mouth when he was choked by the rolling thick smoke. He struggled to open his eyes to discern directions: "Yue'er... cough cough cough... Yue'er, where are you?"
"Your Majesty! It's the Empress!"
Who else could be trapped under the fallen beam if not the Empress?
The Emperor looked around: "Get the Empress out first."
"Your Majesty... cough cough cough... it's too dangerous here, please leave! We subordinates will search for Consort Xian inside."
"I said... get the Empress out first!"
He shook off the guard, enduring the pain in his body as he looked around.
"Your Majesty, watch out!"
"Bang!"
A burnt piece of wood broke off above the Xuanwu Emperor and crashed down with a bang. Fortunately, the guard reacted quickly, pushing the Xuanwu Emperor away, but the guard was struck, his head bleeding profusely.
"Mmm..."
The tremendous noise awakened Jiang Xinyue, who had fainted by the window. Just as she made a small sound, she felt someone grab her shoulders.
A call, sometimes distant, sometimes near, came to her ears: "Yue'er... Yue'er, wake up... Yue'er..."
The Xuanwu Emperor, pushed and rolled to the window by the guard, finally found the unconscious Jiang Xinyue on the ground. She was frighteningly hot to the touch, her consciousness hazy, and her breathing labored.
"Em... Empress... save... save the Empress..."
The Emperor took off his own soaked dragon robe, wrapped her in it, and lifted her into his arms. Ignoring his own face blackened with soot, he carried her and ran towards the exit.
Some guards carried the Empress, while more surrounded the Emperor to protect him from falling beams.
The Dowager Empress had already arrived upon hearing the news. By her side was not Consort Rong, but Pei Wu.
"Where's the Emperor? Where is he?"
Her face was filled with anxiety: "You useless lot, how could you let the Emperor go in to save someone? If anything happens to the Emperor, I'll have you all buried with him!"
"Boom—"
With a loud crash, the main door of the Yikun Palace bedchamber collapsed, charred. Through the thick smoke and flames, the tall and imposing Emperor, wearing only a white undergarment, his body covered in black soot, his face not spared, with scratches on his cheeks oozing blood droplets.
In his arms, he carried the unconscious Consort Xian, like a fearless warrior rescuing his beloved maiden.
Jiang Xinyue was semi-conscious, her eyes half-closed and half-open. Through her blurry vision, she could see the Xuanwu Emperor's solemn face, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes determined as he carried her out.
"Is that... the Emperor's dragon robe on her?"
"Heavens! She's covered with the Emperor's dragon robe, could it be... could it be that the Emperor wants to make Consort Xian the Empress?"
"That's impossible, isn't it? Consort De is still here! In terms of seniority and family background, Consort De is superior to Consort Xian in every way."
"But Consort De's Third Prince is disabled, isn't he? Consort Xian has two sons, the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince, and the Emperor favors her so much, she could probably bear several more! If she becomes Empress, even if she ends up like the current Empress who can't bear children anymore, wouldn't she eventually be deposed too?"
What use is adopting the Fifth Prince when he's not her own flesh and blood?
Consort De stood in the front row, watching helplessly as the Emperor laid Jiang Xinyue, covered with the dragon robe, on the ground. Xi Que and Shuang Jiang immediately rushed over, fanning her with their hands.
The guards' stretcher carried the Empress, half of her face already disfigured by burns. The imperial physicians who had been waiting stepped forward to treat the Empress.
"Seize her!"
A shrill cry pierced the air. The Xuanwu Emperor had just finished washing Jiang Xinyue's face clean when he saw Consort Rong stumbling out from behind the burning buildings, her face filled with terror.
Fen Yun, her face covered in blood, chased after her: "Your Majesty, it was Consort Rong who set fire to the Yikun Palace."
What?
Hearing this, Consort Rong suddenly stopped in her tracks. Due to the abruptness, a fire starter fell from her sleeve.
"Clink..."
A bloodstained silver hairpin dropped from her hand. Fen Yun had already knelt at the Emperor's feet, using her face, deeply cut by the hairpin and a bloody mess, to accuse: "Your Majesty, there weren't enough palace maids in Yikun Palace, all sorts of evil people came to bully our mistress. Today, when my mistress felt a bit better, she wanted to chat with Consort Xian. We maids were all guarding outside, and the fire started gradually from the back hall, so by the time we discovered it, the fire had already reached my mistress's chambers. I told Shuang Jiang and Xi Que to find a way to break down the door, while I went to check the situation at the back. Who would have thought... who would have thought..."
Her trembling hand fearfully pointed at Consort Rong: "Who would have thought that I would see Consort Rong holding a fire starter, smiling sinisterly at the flames. I suspected that the fire had something to do with Consort Rong, so I wanted to grab her and ask for an explanation, but she stabbed my face with her hairpin. The pain made me let go, allowing Consort Rong to run away. Heaven's net is wide-meshed, but lets nothing through. She has been caught red-handed by you, Your Majesty."
The strong-willed Empress had regained consciousness while the imperial physicians were cleaning her wounds.
She struggled to crawl over, but was held down by everyone: "Empress, you must not move. You have extensive burns on your body. We must take you back to the Imperial Hospital for disinfection before we can remove the burnt flesh. Otherwise, it's easy to get infected, which could be fatal."
The Empress had long lost the will to live. Today, even at the cost of her life, she wanted to secure a future for the Fifth Prince.
"Your Majesty!"
Her voice, already damaged by the thick smoke, was harsh and unpleasant, but every word was heart-wrenching: "The person who put cotton wadding in the Sixth Prince's wet nurse's clothes was Consort Rong... Today she intended to kill Consort Xian and then frame me. But unfortunately, she failed! I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for Consort Xian and me!"
Jiang Xinyue sat on the stool brought by Wang Dequan, seemingly still in a daze. She lowered her head, allowing Xi Que and Shuang Jiang to wipe her hands and neck, and comb through her hair, which had been singed at the ends.
The two little maids were crying with distress.
Who would have thought that the Empress would use her own life to incriminate Consort Rong?
Half of the Empress's face, burned and covered in blood blisters, fell unconscious on the stretcher after uttering those words, overcome by pain.
