20demayo Chapter 468
Chapter 468
They didn’t even understand what kind of danger they were facing, yet they ran, not forgetting to pull up Noble Consort Ye, who had fallen in the chaos.
“What’s going on? Why did the Empress and the Emperor suddenly say that the Third Princess and the Seventh Prince are in danger? What kind of danger is it?”
Consort Liang asked as she ran, “Is there an assassin?”
What kind of place is the palace? If assassins could so easily break in, wouldn’t that be a questioning of the Emperor’s judgment in employing people?
“It shouldn’t be.”
Noble Consort Ye pondered, “What was the Empress doing just now?”
Oh!
That’s right!
She had called the Empress to watch the sky lanterns.
“Whoosh—”
Another strong gust of wind swept through, and the sky lanterns floating in the air all flew in one direction, but their lights flickered, as if they might fall at any moment.
Noble Consort Ye widened her eyes, “I understand now, they... they want to burn the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess.”
Earlier, the Empress had closed her eyes to sense the direction of the wind.
The Emperor, holding Jiang Xinyue’s hand, ran along the main path, followed by a large crowd of people.
Some court officials, without the Emperor’s orders, dared not intrude, but those with close ties to the Jiang family followed Jiang Yankun as they rushed over.
The harem was already Jiang Xinyue’s domain, yet under such circumstances, someone could still harm the two young royals right under her nose. This showed that the perpetrator was highly skilled and meticulous, far beyond ordinary people.
Jiang Xinyue couldn’t keep up with the Emperor’s pace. As she ran, she said, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty... you go ahead first. I... I’m too slow.”
Her heart was in turmoil; not being able to see her children quickly made her panic.
The Emperor didn’t hesitate. He waved for the imperial carriage, “I won’t let anything happen to our children. Take your time.”
He helped the exhausted Jiang Xinyue into the carriage and, along with Meng Qingyu and Shi Ruojun, swiftly headed toward Kunning Palace, disappearing in mere moments.
Kunning Palace—
Nanny Lü squinted at the sky, “Nanny Xiang, who’s releasing sky lanterns outside our palace? Is it a special event arranged by the Emperor and the Empress?”
Nanny Xiang, holding the Seventh Prince, looked up at the beautiful, dazzling night sky.
The events seemed to unfold slowly, but in reality, it all happened in a flash. Sky lanterns continued to fall from the sky.
Nanny Lü was less fortunate. She had been standing just a few feet from the entrance and was now trapped, unable to move forward or back.
The Third Princess was still wailing, and the screams of the palace maids and eunuchs who had been burned made it impossible for Nanny Lü to hear what Xiao Xiangzi was saying to her.
Half of her hair had already been singed off.
A sky lantern slowly drifted down, brushing past Nanny Lü’s eyes, with the Third Princess nestled in her fur coat.
If the sparks reached her, the Third Princess would surely be injured.
Nanny Lü closed her eyes, tightly holding the Third Princess against her chest, crouching down and curling up to shield the child completely.
If she had to burn, so be it, but the Third Princess must not be harmed.
“Ah!”
“Bang!”
Amid Nanny Xiang’s piercing screams and the sea of flames, the Emperor charged ahead of everyone, kicking a lantern far away, where it exploded in a corner.
Meng Qingyu and Shi Ruojun followed closely, kicking the falling lanterns into empty corners, while the guards drew their swords to knock the lanterns away.
Nanny Lü, terrified and crying, handed the Third Princess to the Emperor.
The fair-skinned little princess had a red face, smudged with soot, and was crying so hard that snot bubbles formed.
The Emperor’s heart ached as he wiped her face with a handkerchief and kissed her, “Little Yuanlan, don’t be afraid! Your father is here! Your father is here!”
Once in the Emperor’s arms, perhaps because the heat had subsided, the Third Princess quieted down, nuzzling against his hand and stopping her cries.
The Emperor strode forward, while Meng Qingyu and Shi Ruojun, exhausted from their series of kicks, were gasping for breath.
Fortunately, all the sky lanterns had been dealt with. By the time Jiang Xinyue got off the imperial carriage, the Emperor had just reached Nanny Xiang, “Where’s the Seventh Prince?”
Nanny Xiang opened her coat, revealing a calm and peaceful face.
The Seventh Prince, as if nothing had happened, was sleeping soundly in Nanny Xiang’s coat.
The Emperor couldn’t help but tap his forehead lightly, “Little rascal, your sister cried so hard, and you’re just sleeping?”
The Seventh Prince, awakened, pouted and began to wail.
Jiang Xinyue pushed the Emperor aside, cradling the Seventh Prince in her arms, “Don’t cry, my little dumpling. Ignore your mean father.”