Sparks scattered everywhere, flames roaring fiercely!

From Chengqing Hall, thick smoke billowed forth along with ear-splitting screams that shattered the heavens.

Ji Yinshu’s widened eyes gradually constricted, endless panic surging up to her chest once again. She shook her head slightly, her steps weak as she retreated backward.

Turning around, she prepared to go to Chengqing Hall.

But—

Old General Li stopped her.

“That place is a sea of flames. If you go now, it won’t help matters.”

Ji Yinshu’s eyes reddened as she rebuked him in disappointment: “Old General Li, as a senior official who has served three dynasties and fought for the nation for many years, you’ve earned peace for the people. Yet now, under the pretext of preventing history from repeating itself, you want to kill the Son of Heaven of Great Lin. Don’t you know that once the Emperor and the imperial princes die, Qujiang and Huyi will certainly raise armies? By then, it won’t just be Chengqing Hall engulfed in flames—all of Great Lin will be filled with suffering and devastation, rivers of blood flowing. Can you bear such responsibility?”

The next moment, Ji Yinshu forcefully shook off his hand and ran toward Chengqing Hall.

Behind her, Old General Li stood frozen for a long time, as if awakening and realizing the consequences of what Ji Yinshu had just said.

His weathered palm slowly rose and rested on the tower’s parapet wall, clenching into a fist…

Ji Yinshu ran like a madwoman. What seemed like just a few hundred meters felt like it took forever.

At this moment, Chengqing Hall was surrounded by roaring flames, a scene of utter chaos where one couldn’t even make out human figures.

Lanterns kept falling continuously. The forty or fifty thin iron wires that held the lanterns, having been filled with gunpowder, now danced wildly like uncontrollable water hoses, shooting sparks chaotically and whipping frantically against the ground, tables, and people…

People set ablaze by the fire ran about in panic before finally collapsing powerlessly to the ground, emitting the stench of burning flesh.

The moment the lanterns began to fall, the Imperial Guards outside swarmed in to rescue the Emperor, blocking the entrance to Chengqing Hall completely. Since the banquet was being held outside the hall, the crowd could neither retreat inside nor evacuate outside, becoming stuck in a massive jam.

Several eunuchs beside Emperor Qizhen, trying to protect him, were struck by the iron wires and perished in the sea of flames.

A wooden pillar standing nearby suddenly caught fire and was about to fall. Emperor Qizhen had already been forced to retreat to one side.

Crown Prince Jinghua, who was closest to the Emperor, seeing the wooden pillar about to crash down on his father, didn’t try to rescue him but instead ran away.

How utterly ridiculous!

Witnessing this scene, Emperor Qizhen felt deeply disappointed.

Just moments ago, he had said he would give his father anything he wanted, and now his precious son was fleeing in panic!

Beast!

What a beast!

Just as the wooden pillar was about to crash down, Jingrong and Jing Yi both leaped up simultaneously, charging through the massive fire in between.

Jingrong kicked away that wooden pillar!

Jing Yi then protected Emperor Qizhen and his own mother consort, moving them to the side!

Thick smoke rolled everywhere. Consort Xiao’s delicate constitution couldn’t endure it. Having choked on the dense smoke, she had already fainted and was immediately carried up by Jing Yi as he rushed toward the hall’s exit.

Emperor Qizhen’s health wasn’t good either. Covering his nose with his sleeve, he coughed violently. Just when he thought he had escaped disaster, who would have known—a wooden pillar from the other side crashed down, striking heavily on his shoulder and knocking him to the ground where he lost consciousness.

Because the wooden pillar carried fire, Emperor Qizhen’s back also caught fire.

“Father Emperor…”

Jing Yi shouted loudly, his eyes stinging painfully from the smoke, able only to vaguely make out Emperor Qizhen lying on the ground.

“Quick, quick, quick!”

At this moment, the Imperial Guards had already charged in blindly, rushing to the high platform. They kicked away the wooden pillar on Emperor Qizhen’s body, extinguished the flames that had just started on his back, and escorted him out of Chengqing Hall.

Ji Yinshu had just arrived and saw Jing Yi carrying Consort Xiao out, guards escorting Emperor Qizhen out, and various court officials and nobles also evacuating one after another.

But she didn’t see Jingrong or Jing Xian…

Ji Yinshu grabbed a guard and anxiously asked: “Where is Prince Rong?”

The guard looked around: “He should still be inside.” Having said this, the guard also became anxious and called for reinforcements: “Quick, Prince Rong hasn’t come out yet.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Yinshu had already rushed inside, grabbing anyone she saw and asking: “Have you seen Prince Rong?”

The people inside were all terrified and paid her no attention at all.

The fire was even more fierce. She covered her nose, her vision filled entirely with thick smoke—she couldn’t see the path clearly at all.

“Jingrong, Jingrong!” she shouted loudly.

She wanted to go further in, but was held back by guards who dragged her outward.

“Master Ji, the fire inside is so massive, you cannot go in.”

“Let me go.”

“You cannot go in…”

She struggled continuously, tears streaming down her face as she was dragged out.

Until—

Two shadowy figures emerged hazily at the hall’s entrance. She stared intently as those figures became clearer and clearer, and her heart finally settled.

Jingrong walked out supporting the slightly slumped Jing Xian. The sickly Jing Xian seemed on the verge of death, coughing incessantly, his face even paler. Guards immediately took him from Jingrong’s hands.

Ji Yinshu’s nose tingled with emotion as she wiped away her tears. She was about to rush toward Jingrong when suddenly—

“Someone, arrest Prince Rong.” It was Jing Yi’s voice.

The Imperial Guards didn’t move, all showing surprise.

Jingrong showed no reaction either.

Jing Yi’s face was full of angry accusation toward Jingrong: “The fire started because of the lanterns and iron wires. This prince has learned that just the night before last, you secretly replaced all the lanterns sent from Fangshui City, plotting today’s incident.”

Jingrong had no words in response!

The Imperial Guard commander stepped forward and asked: “Prince Yi, this matter…”

Before he could finish speaking, Jing Yi shouted: “Zhang Bo!”

From the crowd, Zhang Bo from the Palace Service Department walked out, his clothes burned with several large holes. He knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

As lanterns were supplies that came from the Palace Service Department, Zhang Bo naturally couldn’t escape involvement.

Jing Yi asked him: “This prince asks you—the night before last, did Prince Rong go to the Palace Service Department and replace that entire batch of lanterns?”

Zhang Bo raised his head to glance at Jingrong, his gaze evasive, stammering: “Yes, Prince Rong did… did come, saying there was a problem with that batch of lanterns from Fangshui City, so he replaced them all and ordered that not half a word be revealed.”

With Zhang Bo as a witness, Jing Yi was full of confidence as he demanded of Jingrong: “What else do you have to say?”

Jingrong looked coldly at Zhang Bo: “I did indeed replace those lanterns, but what caught fire today wasn’t the lanterns—it was the iron wires.”

“Stop denying it. If anything happens to Father Emperor, ten lives wouldn’t be enough for you to bear the consequences.” Jing Yi ordered the Imperial Guards: “Why haven’t you arrested him yet?”

“Yes!”

The Imperial Guards immediately arrested Jingrong.

Jing Yi continued: “Escort Prince Rong to the Heavenly Prison. We’ll wait for Father Emperor to awaken before making a final decision.”

Seeing this, Ji Yinshu anxiously stepped forward, but Jingrong shook his head slightly at her.

Signaling her not to come closer!

As Jingrong was led away, Ji Yinshu still refused to give up and chased after them for a few steps, but was held back by a hand.

Looking back, it was Jing Xian.