PFC Chapter 197 Shadow
Chapter 197 Shadow
"At that time, we finally managed to get the information from a eunuch that you had all been taken to Chonghua Palace."
"But the palace gates were not only firmly locked, the fire was also too big."
"After the fire was extinguished, Chonghua Palace was almost completely burned to ashes, and even the skeletons inside the palace were mostly burned to charcoal."
There were a total of twenty skeletons, large and small, which matched the number of concubines in the harem and the only surviving imperial heirs of Emperor Xuande.
Subsequent examination of these remains, both in terms of their physical shape and the various marks still remaining on their bodies, proved that these were indeed the concubines and princes imprisoned by Emperor Xuande under the guise of celibacy.
Chu Ling buried his head in Xie Yan's neck, hugged his waist tightly, and let out a long sigh.
"One of them, exactly like yours, lies at the palace gate."
It's only two steps away from the door.
Later, Chu Ling thought countless times whether he could have saved the person if he had been just a little earlier or rushed in regardless of the fire.
No matter how many times he made assumptions, he couldn't change the final result.
No one could have imagined that Emperor Xuande would be so insane, so ruthless as to exterminate all his own bloodline.
As a result, the Fu family bloodline was completely cut off, leaving no one to inherit the throne.
Although this was not the outcome the rebels desired, the legitimate regime had already been destroyed, and the country could only change hands.
Thus, Chu Wanshan, who was the popular choice, was placed on the throne.
Chu Ling nuzzled Xie Yan's neck, his voice hoarse, and asked in confusion, "So, what exactly happened that day?"
He held Xie Yan in his arms, tickling her so much that she couldn't help but shrink back. Then she pursed her lips and sighed, "The reason why Emperor Ai set fire to the palace was because he listened to the words of the Imperial Advisor."
"At that time, the Imperial Advisor somehow brainwashed Emperor Ai and completely manipulated him."
"As a result, Emperor Ai firmly believed that as long as he followed the advice of the Imperial Preceptor and offered sacrifices to Heaven, he would surely be able to attain immortality."
"The so-called best sacrifice is the person who is closest to Emperor Ai by blood."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ling tightened his grip on Xie Yan's arm, his voice filled with anger: "Could it be that he's thinking of..."
Xie Yan nodded. "Although that swindler successfully manipulated Emperor Ai and allowed him to do whatever he wanted, it was only temporary."
"Because Emperor Ai's body has been tormented several times, he is already on the verge of death. Even if he is unwilling, the throne will eventually be inherited by someone else."
"At that time, including myself, several of the most likely princes to succeed to the throne were not very close to that swindler."
"Therefore, it can be said that we are a thorn in his side, and once someone succeeds to the throne, he will probably be the first person to be targeted."
"So he simply decided to go all the way and use Emperor Ai to get rid of us, only intending to leave a young prince so that he could control him again."
Xie Yan rubbed his throbbing temples, and as he recounted the story, his thoughts seemed to drift back to that crazy night many years ago.
According to the Imperial Preceptor's plan, a pregnant concubine was originally exempted from the hardship of solitary cultivation and would not have to be confined to Chonghua Palace with them to pray for blessings.
However, Emperor Xuande changed his mind at the last minute, believing that the more offerings there were, the more Heaven would sense his sincerity and the more favor it would bestow upon him.
Without informing the Imperial Advisor, he imprisoned all the concubines and princes without exception.
To prevent any accidents and to stop anyone from escaping, Emperor Xuande ordered all the doors and windows to be sealed shut, and the imprisoned concubines and princes inside the palace were also tightly bound.
Long before the rebel army stormed the palace, the first fire had already been lit inside the Chonghua Hall.
"...At that time, I was indeed the closest to the palace gate, because my mother used all her strength to push me through."
Xie Yan closed her eyes, leaned back, and rested all her weight on Chu Ling.
At that moment, he seemed to hear those pitiful wails and the pungent smell of burning all over again.
If Chu Ling's childhood trauma was water, then for a long time, Xie Yan's nightmare was that raging, blood-soaked fire.
Chu Ling's breath hitched. He looked up and hugged the person in front of him tightly with heartache.
He gently kissed Xie Yan's cheek and comforted her softly, "It's alright, everything is over."
As Chu Ling spoke, Xie Yan finally woke up from her dream, and after regaining her senses, some blurry fragments flashed through her memory.
Then he suddenly spoke up: "I think... I vaguely remember..."
"When I was out of consciousness, it seemed that someone did open the palace door from the outside."
But at that time, thick smoke was billowing, and Xie Yan was almost unconscious, so she couldn't recognize who was who at all.
All he remembered was that after opening the door, the other person bypassed him and rushed inside, but after a short while, they seemed to be forced back by the raging fire.
They then discovered Xie Yan lying collapsed at the doorway.
After checking that he was still breathing, they threw a corpse in from outside and took him out at the same time.
Although we do not know who this person is, it is clear from this that his purpose is very clear.
That is, they wanted to take a prince away and use him for their own purposes. To this end, they even prepared several corpses with similar body shapes to confuse the situation.
But for some reason, the other party eventually gave up on him and simply abandoned Xie Yan on the roadside.
Upon hearing this, Chu Ling's eyes flickered slightly, and he said thoughtfully, "According to what you said, could that person be the mastermind behind the Holy Sun Sect?"
"Very likely." Xie Yan nodded.
Chu Ling then speculated, "Since this person was prepared in advance, could it be that there were other princes who also escaped and were used by them?"
"It's possible."
Xie Yan also agreed with this.
Otherwise, he really couldn't understand why the other party would go through so much trouble only to abandon him so easily.
In the silence, the two began to ponder.
But not long after, Xie Yan remembered something and spoke again, "By the way, when you searched the palace after that, did you find the Imperial Preceptor?"
He turned his head and met Chu Ling's deep gaze.
Then, under his gaze, the latter slowly nodded and said, "Found it."
"However, what was found was his body."
Chu Ling narrowed his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes casting a shadow on his face.
"He was also burned to death in the fire."