Love Lock

Chapter 277 Everything is not appropriate
After informing Tang Xiaotong, Da Jiu had just put down the walkie-talkie when he suddenly remembered that Consort Ru of Tangli Palace must be in trouble at this moment.

Since Consort Ru didn't betray them, Da Jiu decided to help her instead.

Anyway, they're dressed as palace guards, so they won't be easily spotted for a while.

Outside the window, the vermilion palace walls were faintly visible amidst the swirling snow.

Da Jiu tightened his slightly thin guard uniform, the cold iron armor pressed against his chest, and his breath condensed into frost in front of his eyes.

"Ninth Brother, what should we do now?" Da Shi asked.

“Let’s help Consort Ru through this difficult time first.” Da Jiu lowered his eyes and stroked his chin. “No matter what, she just helped us. The princess said that one should always repay kindness.”

“Okay! But what should we do?” Da Shi nodded, and the other brothers agreed as well.

"Of course, we're going to stir things up." Da Jiu's gaze swept over them one by one.

Thirteen was the most clever and adaptable among the team members, making him the perfect choice to stay in the palace for support.

Da Jiu patted Shisan on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Shisan, you stay in the side room and wait for Xiao Liu. Then lie in wait in the palace so that we can enter the palace at any time in the future."

"Yes! No problem." Thirteen nodded firmly.

The small side room was filled with clutter. After finishing his sentence, Thirteen nimbly slipped behind a camphor wood chest and casually hid the M16 under several bundles of yellowed account books.

Da Jiu checked it again, making sure there were no flaws from any angle, before continuing to give instructions.

"Remember, use the walkie-talkie to contact each other at 5 AM, 11 AM, and 5 PM every day." Da Jiu held up three fingers to emphasize, "If the code doesn't match..."

Before Da Jiu could finish speaking, Shisan had already patted the pistol at his waist in understanding.

After giving all the instructions, Da Jiu led the other team members out of the side room in a line.

The snowstorm continued, and there were few people outside. They walked briskly along the bluestone path of the inner palace like a patrol of soldiers.

The only unique thing is that if a pedestrian passes by, their formation will turn to follow the pedestrian's position to ensure that the M16s behind them are not detected.

After passing through a crescent-shaped gate, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before them.

A small river meanders like a silver ribbon among the artificial hills. The branches of several old trees on the bank are covered with thick snow, while in the withered grass in the sheltered area, a few broken branches tremble gently in the cold wind.

Da Jiu scanned his surroundings and raised his fist to signal for a stop.

“Right here.” Da Jiu squatted down, grabbed a handful of dry grass from a sheltered spot, and rubbed it. “This grass is dry and flammable.”

The team members dispersed in unison. Lao Wu and Xiao Qi began collecting dry branches and carefully piling them under a chosen tree.

Da Jiu took out the lighter that Han Lei had given them. Han Lei said that this thing was cheap, much better than a tinderbox, and easy to carry.

The dry grass was ignited, and flames shot up instantly. The fire spread along the predetermined path, consuming the dry branches but failing to ignite the snow-covered tree canopy.

The flames touched the damp branches, and thick smoke began to billow up, standing out against the white snow.

"Withdraw!" Da Jiu ordered, and the soldier took out a walkie-talkie from his waist to notify Da Shisan.

Because of the wind and snow, everyone in the palace stayed indoors to keep warm, unless the master had an order to come out to do something or to be a guard on duty.

Otherwise, in such cold weather, no one should stay outside.

Therefore, Da Jiu and his group found the plum garden by following the way they came and successfully evacuated through the secret passage.

Inside the Tangli Palace, the glazed tiles were covered with a thick layer of snow, pure white and cold.

Consort Ru walked to the plum tree that Emperor Qianlong had planted for her in the courtyard, and gently touched a half-open red plum blossom.

The snow on the petals melted quietly under her warm touch, just like the tears she was holding back in her eyes.

"My beloved concubine has such refined tastes." Emperor Jing's deep, amused voice came from behind.

Consort Ru froze, and the plum blossom fell from her fingers.

Emperor Jing strode closer and, without saying a word, grasped her cold hand.

"Look, your hands are all red from the cold." He said affectionately, his thumb stroking the back of her hand intimately. "It's freezing cold, you should stay outside as much as possible!"

Consort Ru felt a wave of nausea rise from the bottom of her stomach. That hand—that hand that defied propriety—was now enveloping her own.

She resisted the urge to pull her hand away, letting him lead her like a soulless puppet.

"The entire Wei family has been imprisoned, and the Sun family..." Emperor Jing suddenly said, his tone light as if he were discussing the weather.

Consort Ru suddenly looked up and met those smiling eyes.

She knew perfectly well it was a threat, a blatant threat. Yet she couldn't break free from this naked constraint.

She could threaten suicide, and at worst Emperor Jing would just continue to cut off her palace's supplies, but what about the entire Sun family?
"Why is my beloved concubine's face so pale?" Emperor Jing seemed pleased that he had easily grasped Rufei's weakness.

He leaned closer, feigning concern, and breathed into her ear, "Don't worry, as long as my beloved concubine behaves well, the Sun family will naturally be safe and sound."

He deliberately emphasized the words "good girl" and put his other hand around her waist.

Consort Ru trembled uncontrollably, not from the cold, but from anger and humiliation.

She was once Emperor Jing's most favored concubine, but now she has to submit to his brother.

A woman should not serve two husbands, but she was to serve two emperors. After this day, she did not know if she would have the courage to live on.

Consort Ru remained silent throughout, only tears of humiliation silently streaming down her face.

"Let's go inside, it's cold outside." The new emperor half-forced her hand and led her into the palace, constantly kneading her wrist with his fingertips as if he were playing with a newly acquired treasure.

Stepping into the inner hall, the warmth from the brazier hit her face, but it couldn't dispel the chill that lingered in Consort Ru's bones.

Emperor Jing waved his hand, and the palace maids and eunuchs standing in the hall immediately bowed their heads and filed out. The last palace maid to leave secretly glanced at Consort Ru as she closed the door, her eyes full of sympathy.

The moment the palace doors closed, Emperor Jing's hand suddenly slid down from her waist and gave her buttocks a hard pinch.

"what!"

Consort Ru cried out in surprise and instinctively tried to dodge forward, but was stopped by the man's iron-like arm.

"Why are you hiding?" Emperor Jing chuckled, his breath brushing against her neck. "I remember when my brother was alive, he doted on his beloved concubine. I will cherish you too."

He deliberately brought up the former emperor, watching with satisfaction as the pain flashed in her eyes.

Consort Ru bit her lower lip until she tasted the blood in her mouth.

He was right; the former emperor doted on her.

But that wasn't because she was particularly beautiful. It was because Emperor Qianlong was suspicious, and she was his cousin. Apart from her, Emperor Qianlong didn't trust anyone else in the harem.

"My beloved consort's stubborn look, tsk tsk tsk, it really makes me..." Emperor Jing's voice became hoarse, and he suddenly bent down and picked her up horizontally, "I can't stop."

Consort Ru closed her eyes in despair, and tears of humiliation finally broke free.

She felt herself being placed on a soft bed, and the man's weight immediately pressed down on her.

His fingers roughly tore open her clothes, and when his cold lips pressed against her collarbone, she thought of the white silk hanging from the rafters, and of sharp scissors…

Just as everything was about to be settled, a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from outside.

"Oh no! There's a fire! There's a fire..."

Emperor Jing stopped in his tracks!

Consort Ru opened her eyes and saw that he had his brows furrowed, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

The shouts grew closer, and more and more shouts joined in.

"The fire is coming!"

"Fire! Quick, grab a bucket!"

"Where's the fire?" "It's the main hall, right? Flames are shooting skyward! Quick!"

……

Outside the hall, panicked shouts mingled with the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Damn it!" the new emperor cursed, reluctantly getting off her. He looked down at the disheveled Consort Ru, his desire still lingering. "My beloved consort, please wait a moment. I'll be right back after I go check on her."

Wait?
Wait for the shovel!

Consort Ru wished he would disappear from her sight as soon as possible, or even disappear forever.

Consort Ru did not respond, but turned to the side to pull up her torn collar.

She listened to Emperor Jing's hurried footsteps as he left, and the sounds of the palace doors opening and closing. Only when she was sure he was truly gone did Consort Ru allow herself to let out a long-suppressed sob.

She staggered off the bed and stumbled towards the dressing table, where she retrieved a delicate dagger from a hidden compartment.

That was the last gift the late emperor bestowed upon her. The blade gleamed coldly in the candlelight, just like the resolute tears in her eyes.

"Your Majesty!" Seeing that Emperor Jing had left, Yun Shu, who had just come in from outside, immediately rushed forward and snatched the dagger away. "Your Majesty, what are you doing?!"

"Let me die... I can't live anymore..." Consort Ru slumped on the bed, her voice broken and fragmented.

Yun Shu hugged her tightly: "Your Majesty is confused! If you die, who will protect the Sun family? The Wei family is already in prison. Given His Majesty's temperament, if you disobey him, the Sun family could be in danger at any time..."

Consort Ru's crying stopped abruptly.

Yes! She didn't even have the right to die.

Outside the palace, cries for help to put out the fire continued, while inside the Tangli Palace, an even more terrifying fire was burning in her heart.

She slowly wiped away her tears, straightened her disheveled clothes, and her eyes were filled with a deathly stillness.

"Prepare water, I want to take a bath." Her voice was eerily calm. "He... will be back soon."

Looking at her upright figure, Yun Shu suddenly understood something—this was not surrender, but the beginning of a longer struggle.

But what Consort Ru didn't know was that Emperor Jing would never return after his departure.

As Emperor Jing strode out of Tangli Palace, his black dragon-patterned brocade boots left firm footprints on the snow-covered bluestone slabs.

His mood was interrupted, and he frowned, his face turning ashen. The eunuchs following behind him jogged to catch up, and a long procession immediately formed beneath the vermilion palace walls.

The wind whipped up snowflakes, causing the hem of his bright yellow dragon robe to flutter, and the jade pendant at his waist swayed wildly with his hurried steps.

The inner palace was in complete chaos. The mistresses of each palace, still shaken, stood under the eaves wrapped in fur coats, looking around and occasionally sending out eunuchs or maids to scout the area.

Several young princes were held tightly in their wet nurses' arms, their eyes wide with terror as they stared in the direction from which the thick smoke was rising.

The black smoke rising from the water source resembled a ferocious black dragon, spreading wildly across the snow-covered sky.

"Hurry up! Get a few more buckets."

"Go and call the guards to come and help."

"Run faster!"

……

Along the way, those who were fighting the fire and those who were gathering information were all rushing towards the place where the water was flowing.

Eunuchs and palace servants came and went, running and hurrying with tools in their hands. The sounds of footsteps and shouts were extremely noisy.

Emperor Jing frowned as he looked in the direction of the billowing black smoke. That was the direction of the Golden Palace, and a fire in the Golden Palace was an ominous sign.

As a newly enthroned emperor, Emperor Jing felt his heart sink.

He quickened his pace, his dragon robe fluttering in the wind, and wherever he went, a group of palace servants knelt down.

When they arrived at the scene, they saw that a fire had broken out by the river in the Imperial Garden, and a small section of the dry grass by the river had been burned by the fire carried by the wind.

Thick smoke billowed from an old locust tree, its lower trunk charred black, with the remaining flames flickering in the cold wind.

What's even more ridiculous is that a half-cooked rabbit was hanging on a scorched tree branch, with the oil dripping onto the embers and making a sizzling sound.

This scene clearly indicates that a fire was started by someone trying to secretly roast a rabbit.

"This..." Emperor Jing's temples throbbed with veins.

Looking out from Tangli Palace, this is indeed the direction of the Golden Palace, however, the Golden Palace is separated from here by a small river.

The snow-soaked dry grass hindered the spread of the fire, but the acrid smoke still caused the accompanying eunuchs to cough incessantly.

Terrified, the chief eunuch Li Zhongxin shrieked, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and fetch water from the river!"

Several eunuchs hurriedly carried wooden buckets to the river to fetch water to put out the fire.

Looking at the chaotic and busy palace servants before him, Emperor Jing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't his own Golden Palace that caught fire, everything else was negotiable; he just needed to order the fire to be put out.

Emperor Jing was still thinking about his beautiful concubine waiting on his bed and had no interest in watching the palace servants put out the fire. Just as he was about to turn back to Tangli Palace, he suddenly heard a heart-wrenching cry.

"Little White! It must be my Little White."

Emperor Jing looked up and saw his thirteen-year-old eldest daughter, Princess Yongning, running towards him, her scarlet skirt billowing in the wind, her pomegranate-red cloak fluttering, and the hair ornaments on her two cute buns swaying wildly.

"Princess, Princess, please slow down." A group of palace maids followed behind her.

A thirteen-year-old girl was searching for her lost rabbit. When she came to the tree and saw the half-cooked rabbit, her almond-shaped eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Father!" She grabbed Emperor Jing's sleeve, her nails, painted with henna, almost digging into the brocade of his robe. "This must be Xiao Bai, whom I raised in the Qionghua Pavilion. Look, it still has a scar on its left ear..."

Women in ancient times lived deep within the palace walls. Although they were princesses, they had very few playthings. One woman even managed to keep a rabbit for company, only to have it roasted.

The little princess was heartbroken!

"Father!" she clung to the sleeve of Emperor Jing's dragon robe, refusing to let it go. "Look how cruel this is! It must have been done by some blind servant!"

"My dear, your father has already ordered people to investigate." Emperor Jing stroked his daughter's head, saying this perfunctorily.

"Once we find out who did it, we will punish them severely. We'll make them compensate you with a little white dog." As he spoke, his gaze kept drifting towards the direction of the Pear Blossom Palace.

The little princess keenly sensed her father's absent-mindedness, and her pout deepened: "You're lying to me. Last time my pet sparrow died, you did the same thing..."

"This time is different." Emperor Jing said somewhat irritably, taking a piece of mutton-fat jade from his waist and stuffing it into his daughter's hand. "Your father promises you that I will give you an explanation. Now, let the nanny take you back to the palace to rest, shall we?"

The little princess clutched the jade pendant and reluctantly nodded. But she still couldn't resist standing on tiptoe to glance one last time at the tragically dead rabbit.

She muttered under her breath, "We must find that scoundrel and roast him too..."

Having calmed the little princess, Emperor Jing was about to take a step when another urgent report came to his ears—

"Your Majesty, we were shocked to hear that the palace was on fire. The Empress was so frightened that she is now experiencing severe chest pain. Please, Your Majesty, go and see her!" It was a head maidservant serving the Empress.

Before the words were even finished, the little princess grabbed Emperor Jing's arm, stomped her feet, and started crying, "Father, Mother is sick! We have to go see her! Waaah... Mother..."

Emperor Jing's temples throbbed from the noise. He thought to himself, "The Empress is sick. Shouldn't we summon the imperial physician immediately? Why are we calling him? He doesn't know how to treat illnesses."

However, judging from this, today is not a good day for anything.

Moreover, the little princess was making a huge fuss, so Emperor Jing had no choice but to leave for the Empress's Phoenix Palace.

Only after Emperor Jing's grand procession disappeared into the distance did a head peek out from behind some withered grass on the opposite bank of the river. It was none other than the villain that the little princess intended to roast—Da Shisan.

Da Shisan wiped the charcoal ash from his face, a sly smile curving his lips.

After Da Jiu and the others left, he dressed alone in the uniform of a palace guard, which made it easier for him to act. The "roasted rabbit on the water" dish was his creation.

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