But even after searching several times, they couldn’t find anyone.

This made Duan’er extremely anxious. She stamped her feet in place, thinking about what to do.

“Sister Duan’er, we can’t find the princess!”

“Go search again.”

“Could something have happened to the princess?”

“Don’t speak inauspiciously. The princess will be fine.”

“But…” The young palace maid was also crying anxiously.

Duan’er made herself calm down and thought carefully before asking the maid, “You’ve searched everywhere?”

“We’ve searched everywhere!”

“What about the West Garden?”

The maid thought for a moment and shook her head. “We came from that direction and didn’t see the princess.”

“So that means you haven’t searched there?”

She nodded.

Duan’er glared at her angrily, snatched the lantern from her hand, and quickened her pace to go there.

When the group arrived at the West Garden, they just happened to see Jing Xuan in the courtyard.

Together with Wei Yi!

The two were looking up at the sky lantern that had just risen.

The sky lantern rose higher and higher, farther and farther away…

“Princess, we’ve finally found you.”

All the young palace maids surrounded them, breathing sighs of relief. If something had really happened to the princess, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough for Consort Xiao to chop off.

Jing Xuan narrowed her eyes at everyone. “What’s all the noise? Everyone stand back.”

The palace maids all stepped back several paces. Only Duan’er stepped forward and said softly beside her, “Princess, you should hurry back to the bedchamber. If Her Ladyship finds out you’re with this fool, she’ll surely become angry. After all, Her Ladyship already gave orders before to lock him in the room, and no one is allowed to let him out.”

Her tone carried a reminder!

Jing Xuan’s face showed displeasure. She sneered at her coldly. “If she won’t let him out, then I’ll deliberately let him out.”

Her tone carried defiance and deliberate intent.

“Princess, please listen to this servant. You should hurry…” Duan’er worried.

Jing Xuan didn’t care. She looked toward Wei Yi. That boy, as if there was no one around him, was focused on looking up at the sky lantern.

Duan’er’s face was miserable. “Princess, let’s go back.”

“I told you to get lost!”

Jing Xuan shouted!

Just as she finished shouting, someone suddenly cried out, “Oh no, that sky lantern fell down.”

Everyone looked up and saw that the sky lantern that had risen very high seemed to have broken somewhere. It suddenly caught fire and plummeted down.

Carried by the breeze, it drifted toward a palace in that direction.

Ah!

The crowd panicked.

Playing with fire in the imperial palace—if it started burning, this would be no small matter!

Just seconds after the sky lantern fell into the palace, the sound of gongs came.

Clang clang clang!

One sound after another, deafening.

“Fire, fire…”

Because the buildings of the imperial palace were all made of wooden materials, and it was the hot, dry season of August, a single spark would immediately ignite a fire.

Those palace maids were at a loss, each face full of panic.

Dead, dead—this time even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to compensate.

Wei Yi wasn’t afraid. Even if the entire imperial palace burned, he wouldn’t care. He only regretted the sky lantern he had made.

Jing Xuan was the same, deeply regretful.

She patted Wei Yi and said, “It’s all right. Next time, we’ll make an even better one.”

Wei Yi nodded!

The massive fire lit up half the ink-black sky, red-orange like flames.

Before long, the crowd surrounding them suddenly stirred and made way.

“Greetings to Your Ladyship.”

Consort Xiao walked over with a furious expression, her eyes as if they could kill someone. Seeing her daughter and Wei Yi standing there openly, without a trace of panic in their eyes, she clenched her fists in anger.

…

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The great hall of Zhang Zhi Hall was filled with kneeling people!

Palace maids and eunuchs dared not make a sound!

Consort Xiao sat in the main seat, Jing Xuan stood in the center of the hall.

There wasn’t a single sound around. Everyone held their breath.

Their whole bodies trembling.

Until a young eunuch hurriedly ran in to report, “Your Ladyship, the fire has been extinguished. However, the Office of Palace Affairs is currently searching and questioning everywhere to find out who released the sky lantern. Before much longer, they’ll probably be questioning here.”

Slap!

Consort Xiao’s palm struck heavily on the armrest of the chair.

Everyone in the hall lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Consort Xiao’s phoenix eyes rolled toward Jing Xuan. “Why did you go to see that fool?”

“…”

“Answer me!”

Jing Xuan still didn’t open her mouth.

Consort Xiao stood up angrily and walked before her, her face full of disappointment. “Now you’ve caused such trouble. What do you want Mother Consort to do with you?”

“This is my fault alone.” She faced Consort Xiao squarely and said, “There was a fire in the palace, and the Office of Palace Affairs is thoroughly investigating. Mother Consort, why don’t you hand me over? After all, this matter was done by your daughter.”

“Don’t try to excuse that fool. I’ll settle accounts with you about your matter later.”

“What? Could it be that Mother Consort wants to hand Wei Yi over?”

“He released the lantern.”

“Heh.” Jing Xuan laughed coldly. “If you hadn’t captured him and brought him into the palace, this wouldn’t have happened. Mother Consort, for the sake of Imperial Brother’s grand enterprise, you won’t even let a fool go. Compared to the sky lantern catching fire, Mother Consort’s behavior is even more despicable.”

“You…”

“Did I say something wrong? You’re keeping Wei Yi locked in the palace because you want to use him to threaten Seventh Imperial Brother.”

“Slap!”

This time, Consort Xiao showed no mercy at all. That slap knocked Jing Xuan directly to the ground.

Her body fell heavily onto the floor.

Her palms were also scraped bloody.

No one around dared to step forward to stop it.

Consort Xiao stood before her like a demon, looking down from above. “You were born by me. For your entire life, you’ll be my child. I don’t expect you to help your imperial brother, and I don’t expect you to help me, but you think of others at every turn. It’s simply chilling.”

Jing Xuan’s mouth split and bled from the blow.

She didn’t feel the pain, only felt her heart turn cold. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her hand. Looking at the bright red blood on the back of her hand, her reddened gaze was cold to the bone as she said, “Heaven must be fair. It won’t let one person remain in power forever, nor will it let one person be trampled underfoot forever.”

Uh!

Consort Xiao felt a cold chill.

She actually felt as if something was blocking her throat, unable to speak a single word.

Jing Xuan’s laughter echoed through the great hall.

Terrifying!

After a moment, she raised her head, met her mother consort’s gaze, and continued, “Don’t you want to use Wei Yi? Want to use him to achieve Imperial Brother’s grand enterprise? If you hand him over, he’ll certainly be beaten to death with rods. Then your plan will fall through.”

Consort Xiao took a deep breath and said, “You want to protect him that badly? Fine, I’ll grant your wish. I won’t push him out, but someone must take responsibility for this matter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whoever committed the error should bear the responsibility.”

Hm?

Consort Xiao gave a look, and two eunuchs dragged in a frail figure.

The person being dragged had half their body dangling on the ground, blood trailing from their dragging toes leaving a path of bloodstains. The person’s body was covered in blood, and their buttocks were split open with bloody wounds.

Horrifying to see!

Sui’er was thrown directly onto the ground, lying there unable to move. Between her breaths, only faint breathing sounds could be heard.

This person was as good as dead!

Jing Xuan looked in disbelief, her heart as if someone had viciously stabbed it with a knife. The pain immediately brought tears to her eyes.

Consort Xiao stepped forward and kicked Sui’er’s hand, saying, “I already taught you a lesson before, but I didn’t expect you, this maid, would never learn. I told you to watch that fool properly, yet you let the princess run to see him. It seems you never took my words to heart at all. What use do I have in keeping you?”