bestfiction Chapter 664: Love is inseparable
Chapter 664: Love is inseparable
The emperor paused with his chopsticks in his hand, his brows furrowed.
"Why would the Jingren Palace catch fire?"
"Are there any casualties?"
"Your Majesty, the people below reported that Concubine Li, who had been up for the night, accidentally knocked over a candle, igniting the curtains and causing the fire. Fortunately, the eunuchs on duty at Jingren Palace were alert and able to rescue Concubine Li in time."
Su Peisheng took a quick glance at his master's expression and added cautiously.
"It's just that the main hall of Jingren Palace, where Concubine Li lived, was burned beyond recognition and is no longer habitable. The neighboring houses and palace walls were also completely blackened by smoke."
The Jingren Palace had already been damaged by the earth's dragon, and now with the fire, there were only a few habitable rooms left in the palace.
Su Peisheng wisely didn't say this out loud.
The emperor's first reaction was that there was a fire in Suiyuxuan that year, and later a large sum of money was spent on repairing the side hall.
Jingren Palace is one of the six eastern palaces. How much grain can be bought in Jiangnan with the silver used for its repair?
When he thought of this, his heart began to bleed.
Those careless people are simply digging their own hearts.
The emperor slammed his chopsticks on the table and questioned with a stern face.
"Since the young eunuch was the first to discover the fire, why was it not brought under control?"
"Your Majesty, the autumn winds are strong, and Concubine Li has been ill frequently lately, wailing incessantly in Jingren Palace. As a result, the palace servants are inevitably exhausted, and therefore their reaction is slow."
The Jingren Palace was in a state of disarray, and lack of manpower was one of the reasons.
The emperor understands this needless to say.
After Concubine Li was confined to Jingren Palace, her mind was often unclear.
If the Ministry of Internal Affairs were to take the list to the Ulanara family to demand compensation, the emperor would not be able to bring himself to ask for compensation, nor could he afford to lose face.
He was silent for a moment, glaring at Su Peisheng unkindly.
"Before I left, I entrusted the harem to Concubine Zhen's care. Is this how she takes care of it?"
Without waiting for Su Peisheng's reply, he spoke again with a cold face.
"Su Peisheng, pass on my order. Concubine Zhen failed to supervise properly and will be fined one... six months' salary as a punishment!"
Concubine Zhen has twins, a boy and a girl, to take care of, and she can't be left with no money at all.
"Everyone in Jingren Palace failed to protect their master. Ten strokes of the cane are given."
"Yes, I will do it right away."
Su Peisheng would never be so kind as to mention the fact that Concubine Zhen had been bedridden in Zhongcui Palace for more than ten days.
Things that happen in the harem, either you harm me or I harm you.
He has seen a lot over the years, and his master should also know that as long as it doesn't come to him, it's not a big deal.
The deposed queen will never be able to leave Jingren Palace in her lifetime.
Su Peisheng silently reminded himself that he must not violate his master's taboos.
The emperor was annoyed and touched Hongyao's head randomly, then stood up and left.
After respectfully sending the person away, An Lingrong put the crispy lotus root slices on the plate into her mouth, but found that the cold lotus root slices that were once fresh and sweet had lost some of their flavor.
The emperor didn't even investigate and just tacitly accepted that it was the mad deposed empress who burned down Jingren Palace.
The only fault found was that Concubine Zhen failed to supervise properly, and she was fined for half a year as punishment.
An Lingrong understood that the emperor was still thinking about Zhen Huan in his heart and was subconsciously protecting her.
After the Hundred Days Banquet, rumors began to circulate in the palace that Concubine Zhen had lost the emperor's favor.
But why don’t they think about how much the emperor doted on Zhen Huan, suppressing everyone in the harem so that no one could stand out.
The emperor has always been heartless. Wherever his favor goes, there is his love.
Love and favor have always been inseparable.
Since the emperor had made a final conclusion about the fire in Jingren Palace, she didn't ask any more questions.
An Lingrong picked up another piece of lotus root slice with chopsticks and put it into her mouth, chewing it carefully.
She waited until the two children were full before putting down her chopsticks.
"Bao Que, take the remaining food and divide it up."
An Lingrong's eyes swept across the bowl of food beside her, and she silently thought in her heart: People who waste food will have bad luck.
The same thing happened when Zhen Huan burned down Jingren Palace.
That is......
She took a deep breath and decided to wait until she returned to the palace to discuss everything.
After dark, a "fluttering" sound was heard near the Qinzheng Hall.
Su Peisheng trotted into the main hall, opened a sealed small bamboo tube, and respectfully handed the small note inside to the emperor.
"Master, news from the palace."
The emperor took it and looked at it, his face becoming even gloomier.
With a serious face, he placed the small note on the candle flame and lit it, which scared Su Peisheng so much that he screamed in surprise.
"My master, leave this little matter to me. If you get burned, I will be held responsible even if I die."
The emperor glanced at him and said nothing for a long time.
The fire in Jingren Palace was indeed closely related to Zhongcui Palace.
The deposed queen dared to attack herself, and she had no scruples about attacking other people.
It is understandable that Concubine Zhen, who lost both her parents, was so enraged that she sought revenge on the deposed empress.
But she should never have set fire to Jingren Palace.
The emperor frowned and gave Zhen Huan another note.
If it weren't for the fact that he gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, his title should have been stripped away.
He picked up a memorial and read half of it when he saw the word "flood" written on it.
Needless to say, he came to ask for money again.
He snapped the letter shut and said, "Su Peisheng, from now on, no silver will be sent over for the rewards from Zhongcui Palace."
Most of the items in the palace were marked, and the Imperial Household Department would take them back when the concubines left.
So good.
The emperor's anger subsided a little, and he opened the memorial and read it carefully.
At this time, his oral order had been delivered to Zhongcui Palace. Cui Jinxi sent away the eunuch who delivered the message and entered the bedroom with a worried look on his face.
"Master, the eunuchs from the Yangxin Palace have sent word that the Emperor has said that your poor oversight led to the fire in Jingren Palace, and you will be fined six months' salary."
Zhen Huan smiled sarcastically, her face cold.
"The Emperor is truly heartless. He has caused me to lose my maternal family and has driven my younger sister to suffer at Lingyun Peak. Not only that, he has even withheld the smallest bit of my salary."
She still has two children to raise. Does the emperor really have no mercy on her at all?
Cui Jinxi walked forward, tucked the quilt in for her, and whispered advice.
"Master, you are still sick, you must not get angry."
"If the 1,000 taels of silver the prince gave you last time hadn't been returned, you wouldn't have to live such a tight life, even having to carefully plan to find someone to help you."
Cui Jinxi still remembers the one thousand taels of silver she asked Bai Zhi to return to Prince Guo.
If this money could be used to bribe the palace servants, the young master would never have to worry about manpower in the future.
"But I want you to..."
Before Cui Jinxi could finish her words, Zhen Huan interrupted her.
"Jinxi, I've already let him down, how can I ask for his money again?"
Yunli is sincere to her, so how could he let money taint their relationship?
"Yes, the servant understands."
Cui Jinxi thought about the rewards she would receive during every festival, so she didn't take the mere six months' salary deduction seriously.
Zhen looks very similar to Empress Chunyuan, and this is a hurdle that the emperor will never be able to overcome in his life.