The punishment of the female imperial court

Chapter 288 Join Hands
Shang Fu waved his hand, and the servant in front of the door stepped forward to stop the neighbors who came to put out the fire.

The firelight from the backyard swept across the eaves, plunging half of his face into darkness.

“I knew you wouldn’t stay put,” he murmured with a smile, looking at the bustling crowd in front of him and the approaching gongs of the water and fire workshop in the distance. “I didn’t expect you to be risking your life to play with me.”

Tonight is a dead end.

Regardless of whether Yu Qiansi is lucky or not, once the people of Shuihuopu see her coming out of their burning house, there will be no turning back.

Shang Fu turned around calmly and walked towards the fire, his steps leisurely.

Whether or not he killed Boyi to silence him, the onlookers had already seen him go inside.

Whether it's one corpse, two corpses, or killing everyone in the Water and Fire Shop, the problem won't be solved.

He stopped, took out the key from his sleeve, held it in his hand, and continued walking leisurely forward.

Moreover, he always believed that killing was the stupidest method, the worst possible solution.

"Second Young Master, that person rushed in recklessly and was too skilled. We couldn't stop him for long."

The person who rushed up pointed in the direction of the fire.

Shang Fu nodded calmly: "Go outside and greet the people from the Water and Fire Shop."

Sure enough, as soon as they approached the burning garden, they heard the sound of a group of people being beaten to the ground.

"Without this, even if you go in, you won't be able to save her."

Bo Yi looked at Shang Fu's outstretched palm, where a shiny black key gleamed eerily in the firelight.

He strode closer, grabbed Shang Fu's wrist, took the key in his hand, and then punched him hard.

Shang Fu did not dodge, but took the punch squarely and was knocked to the ground.

He propped himself up on his side, spitting out blood, and saw Bo Yi pour a bucket of water over himself before rushing into the fire.

Half of the house had completely collapsed, with only the half near the door barely holding on.

The cold wind howled, making the fire even more intense.

He felt the heat and rolled over to lie flat on his back in the cold garden.

The soldiers from the fire brigade entered the garden in orderly formation and began skillfully fighting the fire.

Shang Fu lay sprawled on the ground, his face remaining impassive despite being glanced at by the passing soldiers.

He didn't care whether he was stupid or crazy, or what people would think of him after he saw the two corpses inside the fire.

A basin of water was splashed towards the door, and two dark figures emerged from inside.

The soldier was startled. The squad leader was about to reprimand him, but when he saw the two men, his face immediately darkened.

I originally thought that since I was doing this for such an important family, I should be as thorough as possible.

The nobleman's servants were indeed very attentive.

But from beginning to end, no one mentioned that there were two other people in the fire.

"Lord Shang, are there still people inside?"

When Shang Fu saw Bo Yi rush out carrying Yu Qian Si, his entire body charred black, he chuckled and was helped up by the steward.

The wind suddenly picked up, causing the fire to rise several feet higher.

The remaining half of the room also emitted strange cries, struggling and collapsing into a pile.

The winds have shifted dramatically; if a decision isn't made quickly, it might affect others as well.

"There's no one inside now. If you can put out the fire, do so; if not, just let it burn out."

The sergeant frowned, showing no respect for the number one playboy in the capital: "This is our job, so there's no need for you to worry about it, sir."

After saying this, he turned around and ordered the soldiers to cut down the bricks in the wall to stop the fire from spreading.

As they were shouting, the outside area became lively again.

The captain turned his head, and a line of black crows walked in menacingly. "Why are the Boundless Guards here?" a soldier behind him asked in surprise.

Before they could line up and exert pressure, Yu Anning rushed to the two dark figures.

"Sister Yu! You're alright, that's so good!"

Bo Yi asked her to go and get reinforcements. Deep down, she didn't believe Shang Fu would do such a thing, but she still didn't dare to take the risk. So she went to the Ministry of Justice and asked Yao Guang to bring people over.

The people at Shuihuopu realized that the two figures rushing out of the fire were Yu Luosha and the currently popular Boyi.

“I’m fine,” she said, coughing a few times because her throat was sore from the smoke. “Bo Yi protected me as I came out; he was burned.”

Yu Anning was about to go and see, but Boyi waved his hand to stop her: "They're just minor injuries, nothing serious. Aru, what should we do next?"

The wounds on Bo Yi's back were stuck together with the charred fabric, emitting a burnt smell. Without even thinking about it, it must have hurt a lot.

But he didn't even frown; he just stared at me with unwavering determination.

Yu Qiansi took out the jade token given to her by the Empress from her bosom and handed it to Boyi: "Send someone to the palace at top speed to request an audience. Boyi, tonight I will reveal the truth of what happened ten years ago to you."

Bo Yi took the jade token. "Alright, I'll go."

Yu Qiansi was also helped up by Yu Anning. Looking at the mess in the garden, her gaze fell on Shang Fu, who was smiling calmly: "Okay, leave this to me."

*
At the third watch of the night, the sound of galloping horses roused the sleepers from their wards, knocked on the doors of the ministers' bedrooms, and shattered the warm dreams of the court officials in the cold night.

When they gathered solemnly before the wide-open gates of the Daming Palace, they all saw the test in each other's eyes.

What's going on?
Has there been a palace coup?

"My lords, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please follow me."

They were relieved to see that it was Deming who was leading the way.

But once they entered the palace, their hearts were filled with anxiety again.

After passing the Star-Picking Tower, why did Deming lead them towards the Brocade Gate?

After passing through the Brocade Gate, why does it become increasingly desolate?
Even as everyone stood before the second hall of the Prayer Hall, swaying from side to side in the cold wind, they still felt as if they were dreaming.

"My lords, this is as far as I can take you. His Majesty is waiting for you in the house where the murder occurred. Please, my lords."

"May I ask, Eunuch Deming, what is His Majesty's purpose?"

Many high-ranking officials of the third rank or above in the imperial court had previously been on good terms with the Cheng family.

Bringing someone to the prayer hall in the middle of the night and specifically asking them to go to the place where the murder happened years ago makes one feel uneasy.

But Deming, like a smiling tiger, only smiled respectfully and didn't say a word: "It's cold outside, gentlemen. If you go early, you can go home and warm up sooner."

Having said that, he led his men to guard the entrance to the second hall of the Prayer Hall, clearly indicating that there was no room for negotiation.

"Lord Suo, what should we do now?"

The Suo family had a marriage alliance with the Cheng family in the past, and their relationship was very close.

This Lord Suo has gray hair and a poor complexion.

He was pushed into the river during the chaos at the imperial tombs and nearly lost his life.

After returning to Beijing and recuperating for a while, I finally felt a little better, but now I've been called here late at night, making me anxious and worried.

“Let’s go,” he sighed. “Standing here won’t do any good. Let’s go see what His Majesty wants to do.”

Seeing someone take the lead, the group of people dressed in purple suppressed their various emotions, crawled into the tall weeds, and headed towards the scene of the crime from years ago.

I'm sorry, being sick and my supervisor giving me all sorts of trouble have delayed me for too long.

My only recent happiness was returning to China to attend a friend's wedding and watching Luo Xiaohei for the third time.

If you happen to have read this far, go check out Luo Xiaohei.

Good movies deserve to be seen by more people (and good stories deserve to keep everyone waiting for updates, haha).