Chapter 157: Fire

"Isn't this our favored Consort Rong? How did you end up in such a wretched state? It seems the Emperor doesn't care about you all that much after all!"

Upon meeting, the sarcastic remarks struck without a shred of politeness.

Choosing not to take Consort Zhao's mockery to heart, Hua Rong rolled her eyes at her and turned her head away with a hint of dejection. "I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's just you."

"So disappointed because the Emperor hasn't come? Let me tell you, the Emperor won't be coming. After all, the trouble you've caused him is no small matter!"

"What do you mean?" Hua Rong turned back to look at her serene expression, an unbidden wave of anxiety stirring in her heart. Today's events had already been far too bizarre.

For her to utter such words made her profoundly uneasy.

"Heh, you don't know yet, do you? Those envoys have come to trouble the Emperor again. It's because of you that the two nations are on the verge of tearing their faces and going to war. If you don't die, I'm afraid the common people of the world will know no peace!"

Struck by this forceful and resounding rebuke, Hua Rong's expression altered drastically. Her entire body froze instantly on the spot, dazed and at a complete loss.

"What—war between two nations? How could things possibly become this serious?"

Clearly, she had done nothing at all, yet matters had evolved to such an extent. She had never imagined she could possess such immense "charm"!

As panic gripped her heart, she could finally begin to empathize with Jun Yeli's sorrowful and anxious countenance. "I have always believed in my innocence; I will never simply confess. If a war truly breaks out because of me..."

Wouldn't she then become an eternal sinner through the ages? Even if she were wronged, the anchor of this war would still rest upon her shoulders, as if she were burdened with the lives of tens of thousands of people!

Swallowing hard, she found the consequences almost too terrifying to imagine.

Every hair on Hua Rong's body stood on end, and a bone-chilling cold permeated her soul.

Seeing this, Consort Zhao pressed her advantage, the words on her lips growing ever sharper and more piercing. "If I were you, I would confess to the crime directly, sparing the Emperor further dilemma and saving the common people from the depths of misery!"

Those words served as a sudden wake-up call. Hua Rong was momentarily stunned. "Confess to the crime? On what grounds? I didn't do anything at all!"

"Yet the evidence at the scene points to you, and everyone believes you did it, especially the victim. The three-day deadline is almost here, and the envoys of the three nations have long been restless, in close contact with their sovereigns. A great war is on the verge of breaking out. If this matter cannot be resolved, just wait to watch the devastation of all living creatures!"

Consort Zhao's warning ignited the lingering tension within Hua Rong's heart, filling her with a sudden, overwhelming panic.

Without another word to her, Consort Zhao turned and left, leaving Hua Rong alone, huddled against the threshold of the cell, lost in a daze of sorrow.

"What is to be done? Could it really be that because of me alone, so many innocent people will be implicated..."

Hua Rong curled her body inward, her face etched with profound bewilderment as towering waves churned within her heart.

She had never felt so utterly lonely and helpless.

Meanwhile, in their chambers, the group of envoys sat eating meat and gulping down wine with unrestrained merriment.

"Brothers, let's keep eating and drinking well! In a few days, not only will there be endless benefits to reap, but there's also a grand show for us to watch!"

At these words, the others threw back their heads and roared with laughter. They bore no resemblance to men grieving fallen comrades; instead, they reveled in malicious glee.

When this scene was reported to Jun Yeli, it immediately captured his attention. "This is getting interesting. What endless benefits could make them this happy? It seems my guess was spot on—these people never harbored good intentions from the start!"

From the very beginning, their goal was never to put Hua Rong to death, but rather to use this incident to fan the flames and profit from the chaos.

As for whether those profits would be wrung from him or someone else, that remained to be seen.

The man tapped his finger against the table, slowly sinking into deep thought.

Glancing at Shadow-Chaser before him, he abruptly asked, "Well? Have there been any movements from the Lotus Cult?"

"No abnormalities have been detected recently."

"Could these people... be taking money without doing the work? Was that fellow's information mistaken?" Jun Yeli furrowed his brows slightly, a hint of melancholy coloring his tone.

Just at that moment, a shout suddenly rang out from outside, "Reporting to the Emperor! Terrible news, a fire has broken out in the prison!"

At these words, Jun Yeli's heart jolted. He sprang to his feet in terror, flying into a furious rage. "What did you just say? Where is the fire?"

"The prison!"

That definitive answer struck him like a heavy blow to the head. Jun Yeli felt entirely dazed, his legs turning weak with fright as he barked orders, "What are you standing around for? Hurry and take men to put out the fire! Do not let anything happen to the people inside!"

Hua Rong was still locked inside. If any real accident befell her, he feared he would live with the guilt for the rest of his life.

By the time he rushed to the celestial prison, the flames had already been beaten back, but billowing smoke made it impossible for anyone to approach.

Seeing Jun Yeli attempting to charge right in, one of the guards hurriedly tried to stop him, "Your Majesty, the smoke inside is far too thick. Perhaps you should wait outside for a moment!"

"You utter fool! Do you not realize someone is still in there?" Unable to care about such details anymore, Jun Yeli grabbed a damp handkerchief to cover his mouth and plunged straight inside.

The black smoke stung his eyes with a sour burn, carrying a searing, scorching heat. Well over half of the prison had been burned to utter cinders.

"Hua Rong, you had better not meet with any misfortune, or even as a ghost, I will never let you go!"

Fraught with tension, Jun Yeli's steps were frantic and disoriented as he headed straight for the cell where Hua Rong had been kept.

Seeing that the interior had already been burned completely clean, a delicate body lay motionless upon the ground.

Bursting through the prison door, Jun Yeli rushed to gather Hua Rong into his arms. Seeing her eyes tightly shut, an unspeakable terror gripped his heart as he patted her cheek. "Hua Rong, snap out of it! If anything happens to you, don't think playing dead will make me let you go!"

No matter how frantically he called out, Hua Rong remained entirely unresponsive.

Left with no choice, Jun Yeli could only scoop her up in his arms and carry her out. Seeing the crowd rushing toward him, he had no time for explanations, roaring fiercely, "Why haven't you summoned the imperial physicians yet? If Consort Rong suffers even the slightest mishap, not a single one of your heads will stay on your shoulders!"

Within the sprawling Xuanji Palace, the attendants gathered anxiously around the bed, gazing at the deeply slumbering Hua Rong with a growing, unfounded dread.

Above all else, if Jun Yeli flew into a rage, everyone present might lose their lives on the spot!