GBP Chapter 414: Throwing myself into a well
Chapter 414: Throwing myself into a well
Once the door was closed, the Fourth Prince had no more worries.
The flame in the copper basin was still crackling, emitting scorching heat.
He quickly walked over to the roasted birds that were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, picked up the roasted and tender tree stick in front of him, fanned it a few times with his sleeves, and immediately began to devour it.
I have to say that these palace servants know how to enjoy food. Even the sticks used to roast the sparrow meat are made of pine wood.
The flavor is pleasantly rich, crispy, and fragrant, everything is just right.
Such delicacies on earth are like enjoying the bliss of heaven, and even the Queen Mother of the West would not exchange them for them.
He was so absorbed in eating that he didn't notice that behind him, Jinfu had fainted quietly at some point.
The door to the rear hall was still closed, and the eunuchs who had just been said to be caned by him were now standing behind him.
Three, two, one...
Several young eunuchs were still counting in their minds.
Before the last sound came out, the young man in gorgeous clothes who was eating the crispy roasted sparrow meat in front of him suddenly saw a flash in front of his eyes, and with a "click", the pine stick with the sparrow meat in his hand suddenly fell to the ground.
The world was spinning around, and before the Fourth Prince could figure out what was going on, he stumbled and fell down.
"Quick, drag him away!"
"Finally, I've found the right time. Once I'm done, I'll report back to the Empress."
"Be careful, put out the food and the fire first, don't let anyone else see it."
"Why are you still worrying about the fire at this time? The most important thing is to get rid of the people!"
"..."
Several shrill yet familiar voices reached his ears. The Fourth Prince's half-lidded eyes reflected four figures gradually approaching him. Were they the eunuchs he had previously requested to be caned?
Shouldn't they be in the outer hall?
Why are you back?
And that door is not open. How did they get in?
Where is Jinfu? Where is Jinfu?
He had a lot of questions to ask.
But the shadows in front of his eyes became more and more blurred. Through the misty fog in the semi-darkness under the rising moon, he could not see clearly.
Suddenly, eight large hands stretched out from the four men before him. He blinked, and within the thick mist, several large, open palms were bearing down on him. He tried to scream, but he had no strength left. Those large, vein-filled hands, solid and immovable, felt like ghosts fresh from a grave, seeking his life.
It felt like someone was pulling his eyelids down hard. The Fourth Prince had no strength left. As the night drew closer, his eyes gradually merged into the endless darkness.
"Finally passed out."
"No matter if he's dizzy or not, he has to go through this. Hurry, do it!"
"After we finish it, there's another one waiting over there!"
Four eunuchs held up the young man's limbs and moved in unison. With a muffled "dong" sound, the fainted young man in brocade clothes finally fell silent along with the splash of water, following a muffled groan from the ancient well.
A few of them took a quick look into the well, and with a glance, the four of them divided the work.
The two men found a manhole cover and covered it, then brought three large stones and pressed them up layer by layer.
The remaining two turned around and glanced at Jinfu behind them, rolled up their sleeves and quickly walked towards him.
The door to the rear hall of Renzhi Hall finally opened.
Miao Yue, who was beside Empress Ji, peeked out from the shadows to the side and then waited in the shadows until there was no more sound from the ancient well. Then she ordered someone to remove the well cover again.
The moon is bright in the sky, and the fog is thicker.
Two hours later, the rear hall of Renzhi Hall returned to peace. There was no trace of sparks on the ground, and there was no longer any trace of scorching air.
There is only endless coldness.
At the hour of Xu, the night carriage of the Internal Affairs Bureau arrived.
The palace servants of Renzhi Hall laboriously lifted three barrels of night-blooming incense onto the cart. In one of the barrels, limbs were swinging back and forth, floating up and down, and making slight muffled sounds as they collided.
The four eunuchs looked at each other and smiled knowingly.
At this time, the Zhongcui Palace was cold and quiet in the autumn night, with bright lights and no one in it.
Concubine Rong, who had been waiting for the Fourth Prince to return to the palace, could no longer sit still.
An hour ago, she sent all the palace servants to look for the whereabouts of the Fourth Prince, and she herself also came out to look for him.
She first ordered people to ask the young teachers and tutors who taught in Yuqing Palace during the day about the whereabouts of the Fourth Prince. After hearing that the Fourth Prince left school on time, she quickly ordered the palace maids around him to take lanterns and search carefully along the way he took back to the palace after school.
But I still can't find it now.
It's been two hours.
Concubine Rong was so exhausted that her legs gave out. Her personal maid, holding a palace lantern, led the way. She was bowing her head to cheer herself up when, ten steps away, a night-scented carriage, emitting a foul odor, brushed past her.
Rong Fei searched for another hour without success. She was nervous and anxious. She thought of all the possibilities. Her clothes were soaked with tears and she felt like she was falling into the abyss.
Waited another hour.
In the middle of the night, the door of Kunning Palace was finally knocked.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, my Lin'er is missing, and the Fourth Prince is missing. Please, Your Majesty, send someone to search for them immediately!"
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is missing. Please, Your Majesty, quickly find Lin'er!"
"Your Majesty, I beg you, Lin'er is missing, please send someone to look for her immediately..."
Rong Fei's desperate cries echoed outside the red gate of Kunning Palace, and the door was knocked loudly. Big tears fell along with her weak body, smashing on the bluestone carvings of phoenixes and peonies outside Kunning Palace.
"Your Majesty, I beg you, please save Lin'er. He is your child, just like the Third Prince..."
No one answered the door of Kunning Palace, and Concubine Rong cried bitterly.
Zhuxiang, the senior palace maid holding a lantern beside her, looked at her hands which were already red and swollen from knocking on the door. Apart from helping her knock on the door harder, she could only cry along with her.
"My Lady, it's cold at night. Please get up first. I'll help you..."
Zhuxiang wiped away the cold tears soaked by the cold mist and choked up her voice, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please save the Fourth Prince. He hasn't returned all night, and Your Majesty is worried that something is wrong. Please help find him..."
There were disturbing shouts coming from outside, and Queen Ji hadn't slept yet.
She thought that if Concubine Rong knocked on the door for a while and heard no response, she would know that she and the emperor had gone to bed and she should leave.
Unexpectedly, this person was so stubborn and refused to leave, and kept knocking for a long time.
When she heard Rong Fei's voice again, a trace of anger suddenly flashed across her face, which had recently regained its composure.
"Miaoyun, Miaoyun?"
"Empress?" Miaoyun came in from outside holding a lamp.
"Who is making any noise outside?"
The emperor, who had been snoring loudly before, was also awakened at this moment. He rubbed his eyes and asked Miaoyun while listening to the sobbing outside the palace: "Is it Concubine Rong?"
Miaoyun glanced at Empress Ji's expression and nodded to the emperor, "Yes, Your Majesty, Concubine Rong said that the Fourth Prince has disappeared and has been sending people to look for him."
Empress Ji snorted coldly upon hearing this, "This Concubine Rong is really something. It's already midnight and she's still not asleep. She's knocking outside. The Fourth Prince is not a child anymore. If she hasn't found him, does that mean there must be someone in my Kunning Palace?"
The emperor was also a little displeased for a moment. "Go ask her what she wants to do? It's so late at night, and I have a lot of official business to deal with tomorrow. She seems to be an honest person on weekdays, but it's so late today, is she planning to search Kunning Palace? Is there anything that can't be said tomorrow?"
The emperor was already sleepy, and after hearing what the queen said, his thoughts were immediately diverted, causing a hint of pride to appear in Queen Ji's eyes.
Miaoyun glanced at her and saluted the emperor: "Yes."
The lights in Kunning Palace finally came on. Concubine Rong looked at the warm colors shining through the stars in the palace, and a big bonfire of hope lit up in her eyes.
The door outside the hall opened heavily, but only a crack.
Miaoyun yawned and took a look, and was almost frightened by the person in front of her with disheveled hairpins and a pale face and sloppy makeup.
"Oh, who was it? It turns out to be Concubine Rong. You came to Kunning Palace so late, disturbing the Emperor and the Empress's rest. Is there something important?"
When Concubine Rong saw that Miaoyun had only opened the door a small crack, she knew that Empress Ji was not going to take care of her matter.
But Lin'er is her only ceremonial guard in this palace, and her only wish to survive.
She couldn't fight, struggle, or snatch anything from the palace, so she had to endure it all the time for Lin'er's safe growth. Although she had some vague suspicions in her heart, she was still unwilling to face the result that would break her heart.
No matter what happens today, she will find the person back, alive or dead!
Thus, she, who had always been weak and helpless, suddenly seemed to have gained tremendous strength. Before Miaoyun could prepare, she suddenly pushed the door inwards, holding the lantern, and rushed directly into Kunning Palace.