Chapter 275
**Chapter 273: The Last Straw**
The child seemed utterly terrified, gripping two broken fishing rods tightly in his hands. Around him, the palace servants were busy trying to extinguish the flames, while he stood there, lost and soulless.
Shen Wei sighed inwardly and instructed Cai Lian, “Have someone brew a calming herbal soup.”
The horror of the fire would surely keep the child awake tonight. A warm bowl of soothing soup would help him sleep.
“Brother, Chengzhen, brother!”
An anxious voice broke through the chaos. Li Yao rushed in, her feet pounding against the ground. She ran so fast that she stumbled and fell, but quickly got back up and continued toward Li Chengzhen.
Hearing that her brother’s palace was on fire had sent Li Yao into a panic.
She rolled and crawled, racing to find her brother.
Tears streamed down Li Yao’s face as she embraced the dazed Li Chengzhen. “Are you hurt? Let me see!”
Li Chengzhen shook his head. “I’m not hurt.”
Li Yao wiped her tears, still sobbing.
Li Chengzhen clutched the broken fishing rod, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “Sister, can we go fishing when the sun comes up? With Ninth Brother.”
This time, he was sure he could beat Ninth Brother.
Li Yao nodded vigorously, her voice choked with emotion. “Of course! I told Grandmother that you’d stay in Cining Palace tonight. When dawn breaks, we’ll go to the pond in the Imperial Garden to fish. The fish there are bigger.”
A relieved smile spread across Li Chengzhen’s face.
Fishing would be wonderful.
The fire raged on, fierce and unrelenting. The palace beams were mostly wooden, and once they caught fire, it was endless. Accompanied by the crackling sounds of destruction, thick black smoke swirled into the night sky.
Before long, the Empress Dowager’s sedan chair arrived. Being older, she couldn’t keep up with Li Yao’s pace. The chair came to a stop, and the Empress Dowager waved to Li Chengzhen, her tone gentle. “You’ll stay in Cining Palace tonight. Grandmother has had a new bed prepared for you.”
Li Chengzhen nodded silently, still holding the fishing rod.
Just as he was about to leave with his grandmother, a voice called out from behind him. “Chengzhen!”
Li Chengzhen halted, turning to see the hurried approach of the Empress. He was on the verge of escaping hell, only to be yanked back into it by his mother.
The fire blazed fiercely, and the entire harem knew about the flooding in the Second Prince’s palace.
The Empress was no exception.
Anxious and disregarding the guards’ attempts to stop her, she rushed to find her only son. Upon seeing Li Chengzhen unharmed, tears streamed down her face as she tightly embraced him. “My child... thank goodness, thank goodness you’re safe.”
Confined in the vast Kun Ning Palace, surrounded by flickering lamps and ancient Buddhas, the Empress’s last hope was her son.
As long as her son was alive, there was still a chance to seize the throne.
Li Chengzhen silently gazed at his mother. Did she worry for his well-being, or was she more concerned that her own demise would leave her without support?
Once the Empress confirmed her child was safe, she suddenly stood up coldly, glaring at Shen Wei. “You, Consort Chen! The Emperor and the Empress Dowager entrusted you with managing the harem, and this is how you do it? You nearly put my son in danger!”
The Empress’s mood shifted rapidly.
The fire in Chengzhen’s residence was a perfect opportunity to criticize Shen Wei’s lack of experience in managing the harem, almost costing the life of a prince. Tomorrow, the Empress would write to the Dantai family, urging them to unite with a group of officials to denounce Shen Wei in court.
Perhaps, she could strip Shen Wei of her power.
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Miaoyu hurried over, and upon arrival, she caught the tail end of the Empress’s tirade.
Zhang Miaoyu rolled her eyes. “Your Majesty, don’t go around blaming people. Who could have predicted a fire? The servants acted quickly to put it out and even rescued the Second Prince, which shows that Consort Chen has been teaching them well.”
The Empress shot a glare at Zhang Miaoyu. “This isn’t your place to speak.”
Zhang Miaoyu scoffed. “On my way here, I heard that you secretly visited the Second Prince’s palace tonight. After you left, the fire broke out. Maybe you started it yourself.”
The Empress retorted, “You—how dare you speak such nonsense!”
The fire continued to rage, with burning wood crashing down, creating a thunderous noise.
Li Chengzhen watched the adults argue, gripping the fishing rod tightly. He told the Empress, “Mother, it was my fault. I accidentally knocked over the glass lamp, and that’s how the fire started.”
The blame was his alone; it had nothing to do with anyone else.
Zhang Miaoyu huffed. “Your Majesty, I hope you heard that clearly. It was the child’s mistake.”
The Empress ground her teeth in frustration.
She was exasperated with her foolish son, who at twelve still lacked any sense. Here was a rare opportunity to undermine Consort Chen, and he had squandered it.
Li Chengzhen lowered his head, silent.
Li Yao, feeling for her brother, gently wrapped her arm around his. “Chengzhen, let’s go back to Cining Palace. Tomorrow, we’ll go fishing together—”
Before she could finish, the Empress yanked Li Chengzhen back to her side, casting a disdainful look at Li Yao.
No wonder she had seen fishing rods in Li Chengzhen’s room.
It turned out that this little girl had been secretly sabotaging him, giving him distractions that would lead him astray. Li Chengzhen needed to study; he bore the weight of the family’s hopes. How could he afford to be distracted?
The Empress snapped, “I’ve told you countless times not to lead your brother astray.”
Li Yao’s eyes turned red from the reprimand, and she stammered, “But... but... he’s so tired. I just wanted him to relax a little.”
The Empress couldn’t be bothered to argue further. A twelve-year-old child, what did he know about being tired?
This ungrateful daughter, always siding with Shen Wei and getting close to her children, the Empress had long since given up on Li Yao.
Out of the corner of her eye, the Empress caught sight of the broken fishing rods in Li Chengzhen’s hands, and her dissatisfaction grew. She even suspected that Shen Wei had deliberately incited Li Yao to give Li Chengzhen these distractions, causing him to fall behind in his studies.
With a swift motion, the Empress snatched the two broken rods from him and tossed them into the nearby flames.
She warned Li Chengzhen, “Stay away from these things in the future. They’ll lead you astray.”
With a loud crash—
The two rods hit the fire, crackling as they burned.
Li Chengzhen stood there, stunned, for a long moment before he finally reacted. He looked down, staring blankly at his empty palms.
He could no longer go fishing; dawn would never come.
The taut string in Li Chengzhen’s heart snapped in an instant. A wave of bitterness, pain, and despair crashed over him, becoming the final straw that broke him.
He violently shook off the Empress’s hand and, without looking back, dashed into the flames.
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